ARA ''Robinson'' (P-45) is the fifth ship of the MEKO 140A16 of six

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

s built for the

Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; ). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Argentine Army, Army and the Argentine ...

. The ship is the second ship to bear the name of British Captain Carlos Robinson, who fought in the Argentine Navy during the

Cisplatine War The Cisplatine War was an armed conflict fought in the 1820s between the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata over control of Brazil's Cisplatina province. It was fought in the aftermath of the United Provinces' an ...

and died commanding a squadron of

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

s during the Battle of La Colonia.

Origin

''Robinson'' and her

sister ship A sister ship is a ship of the same Ship class, class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They o ...

s were part of the 1974 Naval Constructions National Plan, an initiative by the Argentine Navy to replace old

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

-vintage ships with more advanced warships. The original plan called for six MEKO 360H2

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

s, four of them to be built in Argentina, but the plan was later modified to include four MEKO destroyers and six corvettes for anti-surface warfare and patrol operations.

Construction

''Robinson'' was constructed at the

Río Santiago Shipyard The Rio Santiago Shipyard is a shipyard located in the city of Ensenada, Buenos Aires Province at the shores of the Santiago River. Currently owned by the Government of Buenos Aires Province, it has been one of the major active and important ship ...

of the Astilleros y Fábricas Navales del Estado (State Shipyards and Naval Factories) state corporation. Her

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...

was laid down on 1 March 1983 and was launched on 25 November 1984. Fitting out of ''Robinson'' and her sister ship was suspended in 1992, briefly resumed in July 1994 and finally started again on 18 July 1997. Following the resumption of construction, the ship was delivered to the Navy in 2000 and commissioned in 2000. As part of the second batch of the class, ''Robinson'' is fitted with a telescopic

hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...

. All members of the class have the Thales DAISY combat system, but ''Robinson'' is the only one to have an indigenous command system as well. Along with ''Gómez Roca'' she has improved automation, communication and electronic systems compared to earlier members of the class.

Service history

Following her commissioning ''Robinson'' participated in several naval exercises and conducted fishery patrol duties in the Argentine

exclusive economic zone An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...

. She also accompanied the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

Irish Naval Service The Naval Service () is the maritime component of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Republic of Ireland, Ireland and is one of the three branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its base is in Haulbowline, County Cork. Though prece ...

, , during her 2006 visit to Argentina. ''Robinson'' is homeported at

Puerto Belgrano Port Belgrano Naval Base ( - BNPB) is the largest naval base of the Argentine Navy, situated next to Punta Alta, near Bahía Blanca, about south of Buenos Aires. It is named after the brigantine ''General Belgrano'' (named after Manuel Belg ...

Naval Base and is part of the Navy's 2nd Corvette Division with her five sister ships. In March 2021, the ship began a general maintenance refit at the Tandanor shipyard. In July 2021 the ARA Robinson entered service again. In September she participated in a sea exercise also involving her sister ships ''Espora'', ''Spiro'' and ''Gómez Roca'', along with the destroyer ''Sarandí''. In 2022, she participated in an

exercise Exercise or workout is physical activity that enhances or maintains fitness and overall health. It is performed for various reasons, including weight loss or maintenance, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardio ...

off the coast of

Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Argentine Sea, Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón Partido, General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires ...

with ''Sarandí'', ''Espora'', the corvette and the transport ship . In April 2024, the corvette was reportedly engaged in sea training.

Gallery

File:DN-SD-05-02988.jpg, ARA ''Robinson'' fires her 3-inch gun during a surface gunnery exercise File:US Navy 100518-N-9301W-174 he guided-missile frigate USS Klakring (FFG 42) prepares to transfer Sailors.jpg, With during Southern Seas 2010

References

Bibliography

* ''Guia de los buques de la Armada Argentina 2005-2006''. Ignacio Amendolara Bourdette, , Editor n/a. (Spanish/English text) {{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson (P-45) Espora-class corvettes Ships built in Argentina 1984 ships Corvettes of Argentina