Saudi frigate Al Dammam

Saudi frigate Al Dammam
File:Royal Saudi Navy frigate Al Dammam (816) in May 2014.JPG Al Dammam on 28 May 2014
Career (Saudi Arabia)
Name:	Al Dammam (الدمّام)
Namesake:	Al Dammam
Builder:	Direction des Constructions Navales, Lorient
Laid down:	24 July 2001
Launched:	7 September 2002
Commissioned:	23 October 2004
Homeport:	King Faisal Naval Base
Identification:	Pennant number: 816
Status:	Active
General characteristics
Class & type:	Al Riyadh-class frigate
Displacement:	4,700 tonnes
Length:	133 m (436 ft 4 in)
Beam:	15.4 m (50 ft 6 in)
Draught:	4.1 m (13 ft 5 in)
Propulsion:	4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 12PA6V280 STC2, 21,000 hp (16,000 kW)
Speed:	24.5 knots (45.4 km/h; 28.2 mph)
Range:	7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi)
Endurance:	50 days of food
Boats & landing craft carried:	2 × ETN boats
Capacity:	350 tonnes of fuel, 80 m3 (2,800 cu ft) of kerosene, 60 tonnes of potable water
Complement:	12 officers 68 petty officers 61 men
Sensors and processing systems:	1 × DRBN34 navigation radar 1 × DRBN34 landing radar 1 × Air/Surface DRBV 15C sentry radar 1 × firing control radar for the 100 mm gun 1 × CN2 firing control radar 1 × Saïgon ARBG 1 radio interceptor 1 × ARBR 21 radar interceptor 2 × Dagaie Mk2 AMGL-1C chaff launcher 1 × AN/SLQ-25 Nixie tugged noise maker 1 × Prairie-Masker noise reduction system 1 × Integrated Shipboard Communication System ISCS (SNTI 120 ch.) 1 × SEAO/OPSMER Naval command support system 1 × Syracuse II satellite transmission system 1 × Inmarsat navigation system
Armament:	16 × Aster anti-air missiles 8 Exocet Anti-ship missiles 4 x F17 torpedoes Guns; 1 × 100 mm TR automatic gun
Armour:	On sensitive areas (munition magazine and control centre)
Aircraft carried:	1 × helicopter (Panther or NH90)

Al Dammam (816) is an Al Riyadh-class frigate of the Royal Saudi Navy.

Development and design

The frigate Al Dammam, is an expanded anti-air version of the French La Fayette class, displacing about 4,700 t (5,181 short tons) and extended to 133 m (436 ft 4 in) in length.

The ships' combat system, produced by Armaris (a Direction des Constructions Navales/Thales Group joint venture), is armed with Aster 15 Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) launched from SYLVER vertical launchers (SYLVER - SYstème de Lancement VERtical). As with the La Fayette class, the primary offensive weapon is the anti-surface Exocet missile. The ships' main gun is the OTO Melara 76 mm super-rapid firing gun replacing the modèle 100 TR automatic gun of the La Fayette. There are also four aft-mounted 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, firing DTCN F17 heavyweight anti-submarine torpedoes. Al Riyadh is capable of a maximum speed of ~46 kilometres per hour (29 mph; 25 kn) with a maximum range of 13,000 kilometres (8,078 mi; 7,019 nmi).

Construction and career

Al Dammam was launched on 7 September 2002 at the DCNS shipyard in Lorient and commissioned on 23 October 2004.

Al Riyadh-class frigates

Three Al Riyadh-class frigates have been built:

Al Riyadh (812)

the lead ship commissioned in 2002

Makkah (814)

commissioned in 2004

Al Dammam (816)

commissioned in 2004