Wielingen class
| Wielingen class | |
|---|---|
 Westdiep (F911) |
|
| Overview | |
| Type | frigate |
| units | 4th |
| Shipyard |
Boelwerf, Temse (ship 1, 3) |
| Namesake | North Sea sandbanks |
| period of service | |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
2200 t |
| length |
106.38 m |
| width |
12.30 m |
| Draft |
5.60 m |
| crew |
159 |
| drive |
CODOG system:
|
| speed |
28 kn |
| Range |
6000 nm at 16 kn |
| Armament |
|
| Sensors |
|
The Wielingen class , also type E-71 , was a class of guided missile frigates of the Belgian Navy . The four ships of the class entered service in the late 1970s. Three of the four ships were handed over to the Bulgarian Navy in the first decade of the 21st century . It got its name from the first frigate Wielingen , which was named after the shipping route of the same name in the Westerschelde .
history
The ships were a compact, well-armed class of frigates that were procured for the then Belgian Navy in the 1970s. On December 22nd, 1970, the Belgian government decided to procure four new frigates to be built in local shipyards. They were intended to replace older escort vehicles of the British Algerine class , which had been decommissioned in 1969. The first studies for the project were started in 1964 with the support of the Royal Netherlands Navy and lasted until 1971 in cooperation with the Boelwerf and Cockerill shipyards. Construction finally began in 1974.
During their service time they formed the backbone of the Belgian fleet and during this time they regularly took part in NATO maneuvers. This also included belonging to STANAVFORLANT . The Wandelaar and Wielingen were both used in the Second Gulf War and patrolled to enforce the embargo against Iraq in the Indian Ocean , with a total of 28 ships being searched.
After the end of the Cold War and the damage to a ship during a maneuver off Norway , the number of active units was reduced to three. Between 1996 and 2005 these ships were modernized; the Sea Sparrow were modernized from version 7M to 7P, the WM25 radar received expanded ECCM and MTI capabilities and the KH-1007 navigation radar and the original sonar were replaced among other systems.
All remaining ships were decommissioned in the run-up to the procurement of two used Dutch frigates of the Karel Doorman class in the first decade of the 21st century.
After signing a letter of intent on December 4, 2004, the Bulgarian government approved the transfer of the first ship on March 17, 2005. The procurement of the two other ships was confirmed on December 7, 2007.
The ships are used for surveillance missions in the Black Sea and international peace support operations, both under the NATO flag and as part of the Black Sea Naval Cooperation Task Group (BLACKSEAFOR).
units
The ships were based in the Flemish Zeebrugge .
| Identifier | Surname | Keel laying | Launch | Commissioning | Decommissioning | Whereabouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F910 | Wielingen | March 5th 1974 | March 30, 1976 | January 20, 1978 | 2006 | to Bulgaria, Verni (42) |
| F911 | Westdiep | 2nd September 1974 | 8th December 1975 | January 20, 1978 | October 5, 2007 | to Bulgaria, Gordi (43) |
| F912 | Wandelaar | March 28, 1975 | June 21, 1977 | October 27, 1978 | 2004 | to Bulgaria, Drazki (41) |
| F913 | Westhinder | March 30, 1976 | January 20, 1978 | 1993 | scrapped |
The three names have the German meaning daring, conscientious and proud.
| Identifier | Surname | Commissioning | Decommissioning | Whereabouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F41 | Drazki (Дръзки) | October 21, 2005 | active | |
| F42 | Verni (Верни) | February 2009 | active | |
| F43 | Gordi (Горди) | August 22, 2008 | active |