The ''Durango'' class is an

offshore patrol vessel A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval ship, naval vessel generally designed for Coastal defence and fortification, coastal defence, Border control, border security, or law ...

class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

in service with the Mexican Navy. The ''Durango'' class, comprising four ships, was designed and constructed in Mexico in 1999–2000. The class entered service in 2000 and is used primarily for drug interdiction and patrol.

Description

The ''Durango''-class design is based on the s but with a different

superstructure A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships. Aboard ships and large boats On water craft, the superstruct ...

. They have a standard displacement of and at full load. The vessels measure long with a

beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...

of and a draft of . The patrol vessels are propelled by two shafts powered by two

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

3616 V16

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...

s rated at . They have a maximum speed of . For electrical power, the ''Durango'' class are equipped with two 260 kilowatt generators and one 190 kW generator. The patrol vessels are armed with a single Bofors /70 caliber gun Mk 3 mounted forward capable of firing 220 rounds/minute to a range of . The ships mount an Alenia 2 combat data system and Saab EOS 450 optronic director for fire control. They are equipped with air and surface search

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

. The ''Durango'' class has a complement of 74 including 10 officers with the capability to transport 55 additional personnel. Vessels of the class carry an interceptor craft capable of over . The vessels also mount a helicopter deck over the stern and a

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 ...

and are capable of operating one medium helicopter.

Ships

Construction and service

The four ships of the class were ordered as a follow on to the s on 1 June 1998. Their design was derived from the ''Holzinger'' class and are slightly larger than the ''Sierra'' class. ''Durango'' and ''Sonora'' were based at Guaymas in 2009 and ''Guanajuato'' and ''Veracruz'' at Coatzacoalcos. The ships are primarily used for drug interdiction and patrol. In 2017 ''Durango'' took part in the multi-national

naval exercise A military exercise or war game is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat. This also serves the purpose of ensuring the comb ...

UNITAS 2017.

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Durango Class Patrol Vessel Patrol vessels of the Mexican Navy Patrol ship classes Ships built in Mexico