BNS ''Osman'' was a modified Type 053H

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 ...

of the

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy () is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for the defence of Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area from any external threat, the security of sea ports and exclusive economic zones of Ban ...

, bought in 1988 from

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. She was the first

guided missile 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 ...

to enter service with the Bangladesh Navy.It was named in honor of the third Rashidun Caliph, Hazrat Osman (RA).

Design

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...

s that drive two

propeller A propeller (often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working flu ...

s, ''Osman'' had a maximum speed of . She had a range of at .

Armament

The ship's primary armament consisted of eight

C-802 The YJ-83 (; NATO reporting name: CSS-N-8 Saccade) is a People's Republic of China, Chinese subsonic anti-ship missile, anti-ship cruise missile. It is manufactured by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Third Academy. Develo ...

anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM or ASM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. ...

s. Her secondary armament consisted of two twin 100mm guns, mounted on the bow and stern.

Anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...

armament consisted of four twin 37mm guns. For

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in the older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations ar ...

, she was equipped with two RBU-1200 anti-submarine rocket launchers and two BMB-2

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited ...

mortars. She could carry up to 60 mines.

Electronics

''Osman'' was equipped with one MX 902 radar for air and surface search and one Type 352 Square Tie radar for surface search and fire control. One Type 352 radar was present for navigational purpose. I band Type 752A and Type 254 radar was present on the ship as fire control radar for different weapons. An Echo Type 5 hull mounted sonar was there for underwater detection.

History

The Type 053H1 Frigate ''Osman'' was previously known as ''Xiangtan,'' which served with People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in

South Sea Fleet The Southern Theater Command Navy (STCN), or the South Sea Fleet (SSF) until 2018, is a formation of China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the naval component of the Southern Theater Command. History In December 1949, the Fourth Fi ...

. The ship was commissioned in PLAN on 20 December 1987. In PLAN service, this ship participated in the Johnson South Reef Skirmish against the Vietnamese Navy on 14 March 1988 and sank the Vietnamese transport ship ''HQ-605''. In 1989 the ship was sold to the

. She was commissioned into the Bangladesh Navy as ''Osman'' on 4 November 1989. She is the first guided missile frigate to enter in service with the Bangladesh Navy.

Career

''Osman'' was based at

Chattogram Chittagong ( ), officially Chattogram, (, ) (, or ) is the second-largest city in Bangladesh. Home to the Port of Chittagong, it is the busiest port in Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. The city is also the business capital of Bangladesh. It ...

, serving with the Commodore Commanding BN Flotilla (COMBAN). About 250 personnel served aboard ''Osman'', with most living on board. She was the first frigate of Bangladesh Navy who test fired C-802A missile in Bay of Bengal on 12 May 2008, which successfully hit the target. The ship had gone through major upgrades which included replacement of propulsion system, new missile launching platforms and an addition of a combat data link. ''Osman'' was deployed to

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

with the UN mission United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from 17 May 2010 to 14 June 2014. She returned to Bangladesh on 11 August 2014. On her way, she visited the Port of Salalah and

Port Sultan Qaboos Port Sultan Qaboos (previously known as Mina Qaboos) is the largest port in Muscat, Oman. Originally developed as part of a "Greater Muttrah" plan initiated by Qaboos bin Said al Said's predecessor, Said bin Taimur, the port’s construction was ...

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

Port of Colombo The Port of Colombo , (known as Port of Kolomtota during the early 14th Century Kotte Kingdom) is the largest and busiest port in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean. Located in Colombo, on the southwestern shores on the Kelani River, it serves as a ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

and

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

and

Chennai Port Chennai Port, formerly known as Madras Port, is the second largest container port of India, behind Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port also known as Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Nhava Sheva. The port is the largest one in the Bay of Bengal. It is the thir ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

on a goodwill mission. On 11 October 2014, ''Osman'' was awarded the title of ''National Standard'' in recognition of the ship's quarter century of outstanding service in the Bangladesh Navy at home and abroad. After serving the Bangladesh Navy for around 31 years, the ship was decommissioned in 2020. Later on, she was scrapped.

References

External links

BNS Osman’s Photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osman Ships of the Bangladesh Navy Frigates of the Bangladesh Navy Type 053H1 frigates of the Bangladesh Navy 1987 ships