The MEKO 200 is a

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 ...

design by the

Blohm + Voss Blohm is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Hans Blohm C.M. (born 1927), photographer and author * Hermann Blohm (1848–1930), German businessman and co-founder of German company Blohm+Voss * Irma Blohm (1909–1997), German pol ...

shipyard of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, as part of the

MEKO The MEKO family of warships was developed by the German company Blohm+Voss. MEKO is a registered trademark. The portmanteau stands for "''Mehrzweck-Kombination''" (English: multi-purpose-combination). It is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding ...

family of warships.

Variants

''Anzac'' class (MEKO 200ANZ)

Ten MEKO 200 frigates were built to the ''Anzac''-class design: eight for the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...

, and two for the

Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , whi ...

. The Australian Department of Defence decided to upgrade their ''Anzac''s before all ships were completed. The upgraded configuration includes

RGM-84 Harpoon The Harpoon is an all-weather, Over-the-horizon radar, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing Defense, Space & Security). The Standoff Land Attack Missile , AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM) ...

anti-ship missiles fitted in two quad launchers, Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles quad-packed in VLS enabling 32 missiles to be carried, four Nulka active missile decoy bays, and the TSM 5424 Petrel mine and obstacle avoidance sonar system. All upgrades and new builds are scheduled for completion by 2006. In 2004 Tenix,

Saab Saab or SAAB may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Saab AB, a Swedish aircraft, aerospace and defence company, still known as SAAB, and together with subsidiaries as Saab Group ** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab ...

, and the Australian Department of Defence formed a Private Public Partnership to upgrade the anti-ship missile defence capability of the ''Anzac'' class. This upgrade will include

Sagem SAGEM (, translated as "Company of General Applications of Electricity and Mechanics") was a French company involved in defense electronics, consumer electronics, and communication systems. Founded in 1924, SAGEM initially specialised in mechani ...

Vampir NG IRST (infra-red search and track) capability,

9LV Combat Management System upgrade and CEA Technologies PAR 3D E/F band fixed active phased array radar and illuminator. A new main mast will be constructed to incorporate the CEAFAR and CEAMOUNT systems and maintain the existing 2D radar and electronic surveillance capabilities. The two RNZN frigates have been upgraded under the Future Systems Upgrade Program at Seaspan Shipyard in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The upgrades included the MBDA Sea Ceptor SAM (20 missiles), new soft kill self defence systems, Lockheed Martin Canada's CMS 330 Combat Management System, new sonar processing systems and an underwater communications system.

''Yavuz''/''Barbaros'' class (MEKO 200TN)

The Turkish variant, MEKO 200TN, is a modified MEKO 200 type multirole frigate. The first order for the

Turkish Navy The Turkish Naval Forces (), or Turkish Navy (), is the naval warfare service branch of the TAF. The modern naval traditions and customs of the Turkish Navy can be traced back to 10 July 1920, when it was established as the ''Directorate o ...

was signed in April 1983. Two MEKO 200TN were built in Germany and two built in the Gölcük shipyards in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. The vessels are also known as MEKO 200TN Track I or , after the lead ship of the family. Two more orders followed, each known as Track IIA and Track IIB. The ''Yavuz''-class frigates have adopted the CODAD

propulsion Propulsion is the generation of force by any combination of pushing or pulling to modify the translational motion of an object, which is typically a rigid body (or an articulated rigid body) but may also concern a fluid. The term is derived from ...

method with 4 MTU 20V Diesel engines, which require a substantial amount of maintenance. There were also questions over the selection of the Swiss manufactured

Sea Zenith Sea Zenith is a four-barrelled 25 mm CIWS used by the Turkish Navy on their MEKO 200 frigates, like the Barbaros and Yavuz classes. It was developed in the 1980s by Oerlikon Contraves ( Rheinmetall Air Defence since 2009) around their O ...

, an advanced

CIWS A close-in weapon system (CIWS ) is a point-defense weapon system for detecting and destroying short-range incoming missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses, typically mounted on a naval ship. Nearly all classes of ...

system that was never previously used on any naval platform, but there have been no negative reports regarding the system's performance from the Turkish Navy. The later Track IIA frigates have incorporated major improvements including the CODOG propulsion method with two MTU 16V diesel engines and two LM2500-30 gas turbines, a greater displacement of 3,350 tons (full load) and the replacement of the older Mk-29 Sea Sparrow launcher with the Mk-41 Mod 8 VLS. These frigates are considered to be used not for naval superiority, but rather as sea-denying assets that will try to inflict maximum damage to the enemy, while trying to keep friendly casualties low. MEKO200TN Track I/IIA/IIBs have a maximum speed of 27/31+ knots, with a range of at a speed of 20/22 knots. Their armament includes the FMC Mk 45 127 mm/54 caliber gun, eight

s, two triple-mounted Mk 32 324 mm torpedo tubes, and 8/16 RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles. Electronic equipment includes the DA 08/ AWS-9 surface/air surveillance radar, the WM 25/ AWS 6 tracking radar, the TM 1226/ 2690BT ARPA navigation radar, and STACOS TU/FD Tactical Command and Control System. The Turkish frigates are equipped with WM25/ COSYS DDWCS Fire Control System, a DE1160 sonar, and Link 11/14 VESTA CDL2, MCS2002 communication systems.

''Vasco da Gama'' class (MEKO 200PN)

The , a development of the MEKO 200 PN German concept, are major surface ships of the

Portuguese Navy The Portuguese Navy (), also known as the Portuguese War Navy (''Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa'') or as the Portuguese Armada (''Armada Portuguesa''), is the navy of the Portuguese Armed Forces. Chartered in 1317 by King Dinis of Portugal, it is ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

operates three ships of this class, which were built in

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

by Blohm + Voss, and later by HDW, using modular construction techniques. These vessels are unique in the MEKO 200 family as they are the only ones equipped with the

French 100mm naval gun Modern French 100 mm naval guns are multipurpose artillery pieces, capable of a high rate of fire, against both aerial and surface targets. Most modern French warships are or were equipped with one of its variants. History At the end of the ...

as their main gun. The project for the construction of three frigates of this class was authorized by the Portuguese Government in 1985, five years after the request of the Portuguese Navy for the acquisition of new surface ships.

''Hydra'' class (MEKO 200HN)

The MEKO frigates have high-level specifications for shock resistance, stiffness requirements for the fire control and radar systems, and blast and gas pressure resistance to retain the integrity of the on-board weapon systems. The hull is constructed of high tensile steel with a yield strength of S355 N/mm² 'structural steel grades'. The ship is divided into twelve self-sufficient watertight sections, which function almost independently of each other. Each compartment has independent data transfer to the ship’s Naval Automation System, Nautos. The four s of the

Hellenic Navy The Hellenic Navy (HN; , abbreviated ΠΝ) is the Navy, naval force of Greece, part of the Hellenic Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy historically hails from the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independ ...

of Greece are 3,200-ton frigates of the MEKO 200HN design. The first of the four, ''Hydra'' was built by Blohm + Voss in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

and commissioned in 1992. The other three were constructed at the Hellenic Shipyards Co. at Skaramagas. ''Spetsai'' was commissioned in 1996, ''Psara'' in 1998 and ''Salamis'' in 1999. Three ''Hydra''-class frigates were deployed in support of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

2002–2003.

''Valour'' class (MEKO A-200SAN)

Four s: , , and were constructed by Blohm + Voss for the

South African Navy The South African Navy (SA Navy) is the naval warfare branch of the South African National Defence Force. The Navy is primarily engaged in maintaining a conventional military deterrent, participating in counter-piracy operations, fishery prote ...

between 2000 and 2005. The improved A-200SAN design incorporates new signature reduction measures. The combat management system is sourced from

Thales Thales of Miletus ( ; ; ) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek Pre-Socratic philosophy, pre-Socratic Philosophy, philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. Thales was one of the Seven Sages of Greece, Seven Sages, founding figure ...

. Two SuperLynx 300, one Atlas Oryx, two

AgustaWestland AW109 The AgustaWestland AW109, originally the Agusta A109, is a lightweight, twin-engine, eight-seat multi-purpose helicopter designed and initially produced by the Italian rotorcraft manufacturer Agusta. It was the first all-Italian helicopter to b ...

, one Rooivalk or various UAVs can be accommodated.

''Erradii'' class (MEKO A-200AN)

The Algerian Navy operates two MEKO A-200AN frigates, and . The MEKO A-200AN is based on the MEKO A-200SAN. The ships were ordered from

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems TKMS –officially branded as ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems until June 2025– is a group and holding company of providers of naval vessels, surface ships and submarines. It was founded when large industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp acquired Howal ...

. Construction was subcontracted to the ADM Kiel shipyard. There was an option for two more in 2014 but as of 2021 the number of ships in service was two. The MEKO A-200AN include the following equipment: * Oto Melara 127/64 LW 127 mm main gun * MSI-Defence 30 mm cannons *

Denel Dynamics Denel Dynamics, formerly Kentron, is a division of Denel SOC Ltd, a South African armaments development and manufacturing company wholly owned by the South African Government. It underwent a name change from Kentron to Denel Aerospace Systems in ...

Umkhonto-IR surface-to-air missiles *

/ Diehl Defence

RBS-15 The RBS 15 (Robotsystem 15) is a long-range fire-and-forget surface-to-surface and air-to-surface anti-ship missile. The later version Mk. IV has the ability to attack land targets as well. The missile was developed by the Swedish company Saab ...

Mk3 anti-ship missiles * Rheinmetall Defence MASS softkill decoy launchers * Saab Sea Giraffe AMB 3-D surveillance radar * Saab CEROS 200 radar/electro-optical fire control directors * Thales UMS4132 Kingklip sonar In 2016, ''Navy Recognition'' reported that the MEKO A-200AN was expected to use the CODAG-WARP (WAter jet and Refined Propellers) propulsion like the MEKO A-200SAN, with the MEKO A-200AN having a water-jet drive and two propellers.

''Al-Aziz'' class (MEKO A-200EN)

, the

Egyptian Navy The Egyptian Navy (), also known as the Egyptian Naval Forces, is the maritime branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. It is the largest navy in the Middle East as well as Africa, and is the twelfth largest (by the number of vessels) navy in the w ...

operates three MEKO A-200EN frigates, , and . The fourth ship, , is undergoing fitting out. In December 2021, the German government approved the sale of 3 frigates to Egypt. This order was increased to 4, then to the current 6 frigates, with some to be built in Egypt. The first vessel was handed over in October 2022. The MEKO A-200EN included the following equipment: * Oto Melara 127/64 LW 127 mm main gun * MSI-Defence 30 mm cannons * 32 VLS cells for VL MICA NG surface to air missiles * 8 Exocet anti-ship missiles * Rheinmetall Defence MASS softkill decoy launchers * NS-110 4D AESA radar

Operators

* : 2 MEKO A-200AN (''Erradii'' class)''The Military Balance'' (2021): pg. 330 * : 8 MEKO 200ANZ (''Anzac'' class)''The Military Balance'' (2021): pg. 242 * : 4 MEKO 200HN (''Hydra'' class)''The Military Balance'' (2021): pg. 111 * : 3 MEKO 200PN (''Vasco da Gama'' class) * : 4 MEKO A-200SAN (''Valour'' class)''The Military Balance'' (2021): pg. 490 * : 8 MEKO 200TN (4 x Yavuz class, 4 x Barbaros class)''The Military Balance'' (2021): pg. 153 * : 2 MEKO 200ANZ (''Anzac'' class)''The Military Balance'' (2021): pg. 289 * : 4+(2) MEKO A-200EN (''Al-Aziz'' class) MEKO A-200EN frigates ordered. Germany approved the export of three German-built ships in December 2021. The last ship is to be built in Egypt.

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

Thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.comNaval-technology.comMEKO A Class Combat Ship Family, Germany(Naval Technology)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meko 200 Frigate classes Frigates of Germany