| Hydra-class frigate | |
|---|---|
 F454 HS Psara | |
| Class overview | |
| Name: | Hydra, MEKO 200 HN |
| Builders: | Blohm + Voss , Hellenic Shipyards |
| Operators: |
 Hellenic Navy |
| In commission: | 1992 - present day |
| Planned: | 6 |
| Completed: | 4 |
| Cancelled: | 2 |
| Active: |
F-452 Hydra F-453 Spetsae F-454 Psara F-455 Salamis |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | frigate |
| Displacement: | 3,360 tons standard, 4,000 tons full load |
| Length: | 117.5 m |
| Beam: | 14.8 m |
| Draught: | 6.0 m |
| Propulsion: |
2 shaft CODOG, controllable pitch propellers , 2 General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 60,656 hp 2 MTU 20V 956 diesel engines, 10,040 hp |
| Speed: | 31 knots (gas turbine), 21 knots (diesel only) |
| Range: | 4,100 nautical miles (8,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Complement: |
173 22 officers, 151 enlisted men |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys: |
|
| Armament: |
1× Mk 45 Mod 2A 5" gun, 2× Mk15 Phalanx 20 mm CIWS, 2 Mk141 2×2 Harpoon missile launchers, Mk 48 Mod 2 vertical launcher for 32× RIM-162 ESSM, 2 Mk32 Mod 5 2×324mm T/T for Mk46 torpedoes |
| Aviation facilities: | Hangar for 1 Sikorsky S-70B-6 Aegean Hawk helicopter |
The Hydra class are a group of four frigates in service with the Hellenic Navy. They were designed in Germany and are part of the MEKO group of modular warships, in this case the MEKO 200 design. The programme was authorised in 1988 and partially paid for with FMS aid and previsioned for the commission of six vessels. The first ship was built in Germany and commissioned in 1992 but suffered a serious fire while working up near Portland, England. Repairs were completed in 1993. The Greek built warships were delayed due to financial problems on the part of the Hellenic Shipyards completing in the late 1990s which also led to limiting the total number of vessels to four mainly after the acquisition of eight Kortenaer class frigate from the Netherlands in the late 1990s. In 2007, an upgrade of the STIR fire control system to allow the firing of the RIM-162 ESSM surface to air missile was launched. Salamis has been firstly upgraded and, in August 2008, successfully completed a live firing test. The other three Hydra vessels were upgraded during 2008.
Ships[]
| Ship | Namesake | Builder | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F452 Hydra Ύδρα | Hydra, Saronic Islands | Blohm + Voss | November 12, 1992 | In Service 2012 |
| F453 Spetsai Σπέτσαι | Spetses | Hellenic Shipyards | October 24, 1996 | In Service 2012 |
| F454 Psara Ψαρά | Psara | Hellenic Shipyards | April 30, 1998 | In Service 2012 |
| F455 Salamis Σαλαμίς | Salamis | Hellenic Shipyards | December 16, 1998 | In Service 2012 |
See also[]
- Vasco da Gama class frigate - built for Portugal
- Anzac class frigate - built for Australia and New Zealand
- Barbaros class frigate - Built for the Turkish Navy
References[]
- Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995
- Hellenic Navy website
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The original article can be found at Hydra-class frigate and the edit history here.