Baptista de Andrade-class corvette

Bazan, Cartagena ( Murcia, Spain )

1974

1380 ts ( max. 1402)

85.0 m

10.3 m

3.10 m

122 man

2x OEW Pielstick 12 Pc2.2 V 400 diesel engine 2x V2M boilers ( 12,000 hp) 2 waves

22 kn

5,500 sm ( 10,190 km )

1x Creusot -Loire 100 mm rapid-fire gun two 40 mm Bofors L/70 6x 324 -mm torpedo tubes for Mk.46

The Baptista de Andrade class is a class of four corvettes of the Portuguese Navy. They are from the mid- 1970s in service. The yet in service units are now used as patrol boats.

History

Originally, the four ships were destined for South Africa. In the course of the arms embargo against South Africa, Portugal had to take over the ships themselves. All ships were built at Empresa National Bazaan in southern Spain. The communication systems have been modernized in 1988-1991. Another planned modernization program that the installation of ground -to-ground missiles and anti-aircraft missiles foresaw was adjusted for cost reasons in 1998.

The anti-submarine equipment was expanded between 1999 and 2001. The ships used since then as patrol boats for territorial affairs, SAR, fisheries protection and humanitarian missions.

The " Oliveira e Carmo " was sunk as a diving spot, after all pollutants were removed from the ship in the spring of 2012 as the first of four decommissioned ships of the Portuguese Navy before Portimão ( Algarve) in the planned underwater museum "Ocean Revival".

Technology

The main armament is a Creusot- Loire 100 mm gun. For air defense, the gun has an elevation range of up to 80 °. The rate of fire is 80 rounds per minute at a range of 9 nautical miles ( 17 km). The torpedo tubes used are designed for the use of the American Lightweight Torpedoes Mark 46 and serve the submarine defense.

Units

All ships are located in Lisbon, they were named after officers of the Portuguese maritime forces from the period before the First World War.

With supply of patrol boats of the Viana -do- Castelo - class, the remaining ships will be put to the end of the second decade of the 21st century out of service ( the João Coutinho class as ).