| MEKO 140 | |
|---|---|
 ARA Robinson (P-45) frigate (classified by the Argentine Navy as “corvette”) | |
| Class overview | |
| Builders: | AFNE “Río Santiago” |
| Operators: |
 Argentine Navy |
| Subclasses: | Espora |
| In service: | 1985 |
| Completed: | 6 |
| Active: |
ARA Espora ARA Rosales ARA Spiro ARA Parker ARA Robinson ARA Gómez Roca |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1,790 tons |
| Length: | 91.2 m |
| Beam: | 11.1 m |
| Draught: | 4.5 m |
| Propulsion: |
2 Diesel engines 20,400 shp (15,210 kW) 2 shafts/propellers |
| Speed: | 27 knots (50 km/h) |
| Range: | 4,000 nautical miles (7,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Complement: | 100 |
| Armament: |
4 Exocet anti-ship missiles 1 76 mm dual purpose gun 4 40 mm anti-aircraft guns 2 .50cal machine guns 6 324 mm torpedo tubes |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 helicopter |
The MEKO 140 is a frigate design by the German Blohm + Voss shipyard as part of the MEKO family of vessels. The MEKO 140 is development of the Portuguese Navy's João Coutinho class corvettes - designed by the Portuguese naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira in the late 1960s - three ships of which were built Blohm + Voss in 1970, as an outsourcing.
Concept and development[]
MEKO is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of maintenance and cost reduction. Vessels of similar classes can use different weapons systems, as required by the customer.
The MEKO 140 was designed in the late 1970s, and was chosen by the Argentine Navy to complement the MEKO 360 destroyers.
Variants[]
Six vessels of the MEKO 140 A16 variant were constructed in Argentina by the Río Santiago Shipyards (AFNE) near La Plata for the Argentine Navy. They are locally named as the Espora class and currently serve in the High Seas Fleet (“Flota de Mar”).
Although considered by its designers to be frigates, the Espora class vessels have been classed in Argentina as corvettes.
See also[]
- MEKO 360 class frigates
External links[]
- (Spanish) Argentine Navy (ARA) official site – class specifications & pictures
- Description of MEKO 140 concept and existing ships
The original article can be found at MEKO 140 and the edit history here.