''Gordi'' () is a ''Wielingen''-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 ...

of the

Bulgarian Navy The Bulgarian Navy () is the navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; name ...

with number 43. She was originally commissioned as ''Westdiep'' in the

Belgian Navy The Belgian Navy, officially the Naval Component (, ; , ; , ) of the Belgian Armed Forces, is the Navy, naval service of Belgium. History Early history The Belgian Navy was created as the ''Marine Royale'' () on 15 January 1831. This force ...

Construction and career

''Westdiep'' was launched on 8 December 1975 at the Cockerill Yards in

Hoboken Hoboken ( ; ) is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's popula ...

, and christened by

Princess Astrid of Belgium Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 5 June 1962), is the second child and first daughter of King Albert II and Queen Paola, and the younger sister to the current Belgian monarch, King Philippe. She is married to Pr ...

, on 20 January 1978. The patronage of the ''Westdiep'' was accepted by the city of

Sint-Niklaas Sint-Niklaas (; , ) is a Belgium, Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Sin ...

. ''Westdiep'' was the second ship in the ''Wielingen'' class. She had the

pennant number In the Royal Navy and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations, ships are identified by pennant number (an internationalisation of ''pendant number'', which it was called before 1948). Historically, naval ships flew a flag that iden ...

F911. On 5 October 2007 ''Westdiep'', , was withdrawn from service. She was sold to the

together with her sister, ''Wielingen''. Another sistership, ''Wandelaar'' has already been sold to Bulgaria. ''Westdiep'' entered service with them under the name ''Gordi'', and with the pennant number 43.

Citations

References

External links

Information & pictures of the decommissioning and handover ceremony
Wielingen-class frigates 1975 ships Gordi Ships built in Belgium Frigates of the Cold War {{mil-ship-stub