BAP ''Almirante Grau'' is the third out of four ''Carvajal''-class

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

s ordered by the

Peruvian Navy The Peruvian Navy (, abbreviated MGP) is the branch of the Peruvian Military of Peru, Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to from the Peruvian littoral. Additional missions include ...

in 1973 and originally named ''Montero''. It was built by SIMA (Servicio Industrial de la Marina) at

Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists ...

under license from the Italian shipbuilder Cantieri Navali Riuniti. As such, it was the first modern

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...

built in

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. In late 2007 its flight deck was extended to allow ASH-3D Sea King

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

s to land and refuel, although they cannot be housed in the ship's

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 ...

. On 26 September 2017 the ship was renamed BAP ''Almirante Grau'' on designation as the Peruvian fleet's flagship. As ''Montero'', the ship was named after

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Lizardo Montero Flores (1832–1905) who fought in the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...

, and now honours

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Miguel Grau Seminario Miguel María Grau Seminario (27 July 1834 – 8 October 1879) was a Peruvian Navy officer and politician best known for his actions during the War of the Pacific. He was nicknamed "Gentleman of the Seas" for his kind and chivalrous treatment ...

(1834-1879), hero of the Naval Battle of Angamos.

International exercises

RIMPAC The Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii, with the exception of 2020 where it was held ...

(Hawaii-USA) 2002. * SIFOREX (Peru) 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007. *

UNITAS Unitas may refer to: Places * 306 Unitas, a main belt asteroid * Housing complex Unitas, an apartment complex from 1931 in Bratislava, Slovakia * Johnny Unitas Stadium, Towson, Maryland, USA; a multipurpose stadium People * Johnny Unitas (1933-2 ...

**Phase-0 (Puerto Rico) 1993, 1997. **Phase-4 (Peru) 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000. **Atlantic Phase 2003 (Argentina). **Pacific Phase 2004 (Peru), 2006 (Chile), 2007 (Peru).

Gallery

File:MON GUN.jpg, Unitas 45-04 Perú - BAP ''Montero'' (FM-53) in firing run

References

Sources

* Rodríguez, John, "Las fragatas Lupo: una breve mirada retrospectiva y perspectivas". ''Revista de Marina'', Year 95, No. 3: 8-32 (July / December 2002)

External links

Navy Newsstand
RIMPAC - A direct hit by BAP ''Montero'' caused the final blow and eventually sank the "hostile" vessel ( ex-USS ''Rathburne'') {{DEFAULTSORT:Almirante Grau (FM-53) 1982 ships Carvajal-class frigates Ships built in Peru