Wielingen-class Frigate
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The ''Wielingen'' class is a
class Class, Classes, 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 d ...
of four multi-functional
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 constructed for and operated by the
Belgian Naval Component The Belgian Navy, officially the Naval Component (, ; , ; , ) of the Belgian Armed Forces, is the naval service of Belgium. History Early history The Belgian Navy was created as the ''Marine Royale'' () on 15 January 1831. This force has o ...
. In service from 1976 to 2008 with the Belgians, three of the class were sold to Bulgaria for service with 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 ...
beginning in 2004. The fourth, , ran aground in 1988, was decommissioned in 1993 and was scrapped.


Design and description

The
Belgian government The Federal Government of Belgium ( ; ; ) exercises executive power in the Kingdom of Belgium. It consists of ministers and secretaries of state ("junior", or deputy-ministers who do not sit in the Council of Ministers) drawn from the polit ...
began studies in 1969 for a new type of escort that would meet the requirements of escort missions in the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
and
English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
during the
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
. The design would also only be limited to weapon systems already in service with or under development by
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
navies. The design also emphasized seaworthiness, automation and watertight integrity. The weapons systems, with the exception of the
Sea Sparrow The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a U.S. ship-borne short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily intended for defense against anti-ship missiles. The system was developed in the early 1960s from the AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile ...
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
(SSM) were French. The radar and tactical data systems were Dutch and the hull and machinery were constructed in Belgium. As part of the project, the Belgian government made Belgian shipbuilding participation mandatory in the construction of the new ships. The frigates feature an action information centre between decks and the ships could be split into two independent gas-tight citadels in the case of nuclear, biological or chemical warfare. All machinery could be controlled from a central control station. The vessels measured long between perpendiculars and
overall Overalls or bib-and-brace overalls, also called dungarees in British English, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers ...
with a beam of and a draught of . The ships had a
light displacement The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into weig ...
of and at
full load The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into weig ...
. By 2004, the light displacement had increased to and to at full load. The ships are propelled by a two- shaft combined diesel or gas (CODOG) system. This is composed of a single
Rolls-Royce Olympus The Rolls-Royce Olympus (originally the Bristol B.E.10 Olympus) was the world's second two- spool axial-flow turbojet aircraft engine design, first run in May 1950 and preceded only by the Pratt & Whitney J57, first-run in January 1950. It i ...
TM3B
gas turbine A gas turbine or gas turbine engine is a type of Internal combustion engine#Continuous combustion, continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas gene ...
creating and giving the frigates a maximum speed of or two
Cockerill Cockerill is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: ;Sport and sportsmen *Callum Cockerill-Mollett, English footballer * Glenn Cockerill, English football manager * Harry Cockerill (footballer) (1894–1960), English footballer * John ...
CO 240 V12
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 creating with a maximum speed of on both diesels or on just one. These turned controllable pitch propellers. The frigates have a range of at . The vessels also had four 500 kW
diesel alternator A diesel generator (DG) (also known as a diesel genset) is the combination of a diesel engine with an electric generator (often an alternator) to generate electrical energy. This is a specific case of an engine generator. A diesel compression ...
s for electric production. They had a complement of 160 including 15 officers in Belgian service. The ''Wielingen'' class were armed with four launchers for MM38 Exocet
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, later converted to two twin launchers. They were equipped with a Mark 29 octuple launcher for eight RIM-7M Sea Sparrow SAMs. These were later upgraded to the RIM-7P model. The frigates also mount a single /55 calibre modèle 68 naval gun, one six-barrelled Creusot-Loire
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 ...
(ASW) rocket launcher with Bofors rockets, and two catapults for L5
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
es. The class was fitted with two eight-barrelled Corvus chaff launchers, a Sagem Vigy 105 optronic director, a Signaal DA-05 air/surface search
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
, a WM-25 surface search radar, SQS-510 hull-mounted
sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects o ...
, and the SEWACO IV tactical data system with Link 11 capability. They were also given Argos AR 900 intercept
electronic support measures In military telecommunications, electronic support (ES) or electronic support measures (ESM) gather intelligence through passive "listening" to electromagnetic radiations of military interest. They are an aspect of electronic warfare involving ...
and SLQ-25 Dixie torpedo decoy system.


Ships in the class


Construction and career

The construction programme of four ships was approved on 23 June 1971 and an order was placed with two Belgian shipyards in October 1973. Construction of the ships began in 1974. The first two ships, ''Wielingen'' and ''Westdiep'', were first delivered in December 1976. However, they were both sent back to their yards for an engine overhaul which was completed in 1977. The four ships, including the final two ''Wandelaar'' and ''Westhinder'', all entered service in 1978. All four ships were based at
Zeebrugge Zeebrugge (; from , meaning "Bruges-on-Sea"; , ) is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with ...
. ''Westhinder'' was damaged during an anti-submarine
exercise Exercise or workout is physical activity that enhances or maintains fitness and overall health. It is performed for various reasons, including weight loss or maintenance, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardio ...
off the coast of Norway in September 1988, striking a rock. The ship was decommissioned on 1 July 1993 and then used as a parts hulk for the other frigates. The hulk was towed to
Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
for
scrapping Scrap consists of Recycling, recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap can have Waste valorization, mone ...
on 7 November 2000. Following the loss of ''Westhinder'', two of the frigates were kept operational while the third was placed in reserve or under refit. The third ship, ''Wandelaar'', was decommissioned in 2004 and was sold to 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 ...
the same year. ''Wielingen'' and ''Westdiep'' were decommissioned in 2007 sold to Bulgaria in 2008.


Bulgarian naval service

Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and sought out options to replace their older
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
-era fleet to fulfill their obligations with the organisation. In May 2004 the Bulgarian government agreed to purchase new equipment for the Bulgarian Navy. On 4 December 2004, a letter of intent was signed by the government and the first ship, ''Wandelaar'' was acquired. Approval of the purchase came only on 17 March 2005 and ''Wandelaar'' was transferred to Bulgaria in October 2005. The ship was renamed ''Drazki''. ''Drazki'' was followed by the remaining two frigates of the class, with confirmation of their acquisition on 7 December 2007. Bulgaria took possession of ''Westdiep'' on 22 August 2008 and renamed the frigate ''Gordi'' followed by ''Wielingen'' in February 2009 which was renamed ''Verni''. In 2011 ''Drazki'' took part in NATO operations against Libya and since then, the vessels have participated in several naval exercises with Turkey.


See also

*
List of naval ship classes in service The list of naval ship classes in service includes all combatant surface classes in service currently with navies or armed forces and auxiliaries in the world. Ships are grouped by type, and listed alphabetically within. Surface combatants ...


Notes


Citations


References

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wielingen Frigate classes