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127-450: The FREMM (French: Frégate Européenne Multi-Mission ; Italian: Fregata Europea Multi-Missione ), which stands for "European multi-purpose frigate", is a Franco-Italian family of multi-purpose frigates designed by Naval Group and Fincantieri . In France, this surface combatant is known as the " Aquitaine class " (17 units planned, of which 9 were later cancelled), while in Italy it

254-599: A corruption of aphractus , a Latin word for an open vessel with no lower deck. Aphractus , in turn, derived from the Ancient Greek phrase ἄφρακτος ναῦς ( aphraktos naus ) – "undefended ship" . In 1583, during the Eighty Years' War of 1568–1648, Habsburg Spain recovered the southern Netherlands from the Protestant rebels. This soon resulted in the use of the occupied ports as bases for privateers ,

381-719: A FREMM variant for their new Constellation class of 20 frigates, to be built by Fincantieri, starting with a US$ 795 million contract for the lead ship . Three original variants of the FREMM were proposed; an anti-submarine variant (ASW) and a general-purpose variant (GP) and a land-attack variant (AVT) to replace the existing classes of frigates within the French and Italian navies. A total of 27 FREMM were to be constructed (17 for France and 10 for Italy) with additional aims to seek exports. However, budget cuts and changing requirements saw this number drop significantly for France, while

508-716: A continuous line of guns from bow to stern at the level of the quarterdeck/forecastle), were built, which were an almost exact match in size and firepower to the American 44-gun frigates. Frigates were perhaps the hardest-worked of warship types during the Age of Sail . While smaller than a ship-of-the-line , they were formidable opponents for the large numbers of sloops and gunboats , not to mention privateers or merchantmen. Able to carry six months' stores, they had very long range; and vessels larger than frigates were considered too valuable to operate independently. Frigates scouted for

635-697: A contract with Fincantieri for the order of six FREMM frigates and two Maestrale -class frigates and other logistical support. There may be collaboration between PT-PAL Shipyard on Java and Fincantieri. In April 2013, the French government showcased the FREMM class in Halifax, Nova Scotia , with the hope of selling to the Royal Canadian Navy for the Single Class Surface Combatant Project . In September 2017,

762-849: A cost of € 5.9 billion. FREMM-IT will replace the Maestrale and Lupo -class frigates in service with the Italian Navy. In the 2013 Italian budget, the Italian government laid out the necessary financing for two more GP variants (FREMM-IT 7 & 8) and the contract was awarded in September 2013. On 15 April 2015, the Italian Parliament confirmed the deal between OCCAR and Orizzonte Sistemi Navali Spa (Fincantieri and Finmeccanica, since 2017 Leonardo ) to begin building units 9 and 10, for 764 million Euros. As of 16 April 2015,

889-409: A greater chance of glory, promotion, and prize money . Unlike larger ships that were placed in ordinary , frigates were kept in service in peacetime as a cost-saving measure and to provide experience to frigate captains and officers which would be useful in wartime. Frigates could also carry marines for boarding enemy ships or for operations on shore; in 1832, the frigate USS  Potomac landed

1016-662: A modified superstructure replacing Héraklès with the new Thales Sea Fire 500 radar, whose four fixed plates resemble those of the US Navy 's AN/SPY-1 . However, unlike the Héraklès and the SPY-1 (both using passive electronically scanned array technology), the Sea Fire 500 has active electronically scanned array antennas. Initial planning assumptions for the Italian Navy are ten FREMM-IT (four ASW variants and six GP variants) at

1143-507: A partially armed lower deck, from which it was known as a 'half-battery' or demi-batterie ship. Removing the guns from this deck allowed the height of the hull upperworks to be lowered, giving the resulting 'true-frigate' much improved sailing qualities. The unarmed deck meant that the frigate's guns were carried comparatively high above the waterline; as a result, when seas were too rough for two-deckers to open their lower deck gunports , frigates were still able to fight with all their guns (see

1270-461: A party of 282 sailors and Marines ashore in the US Navy's first Sumatran expedition . Frigates remained a crucial element of navies until the mid-19th century. The first ironclads were classified as "frigates" because of the number of guns they carried. However, terminology changed as iron and steam became the norm, and the role of the frigate was assumed first by the protected cruiser and then by

1397-557: A proposal to change the company name. From 1 January 2017 Finmeccanica officially became Leonardo, a name inspired by the Italian savant Leonardo da Vinci . In March 2017 the Italian Treasury proposed that the veteran banker Alessandro Profumo replace Mauro Moretti as CEO of Leonardo. In May 2017 the Board appointed Alessandro Profumo to the role. On 10 May 2023 the Board of Directors appointed Mr. Roberto Cingolani to

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1524-441: A single industrial company by integrating the activities of its subsidiaries AgustaWestland , Alenia Aermacchi , DRS Technologies , Selex ES , OTO Melara and WASS . The company is organised into five divisions (Helicopters, Aircraft, Aerostructures, Electronics, Cybersecurity). It is also the parent company and corporate centre for the subsidiaries and joint ventures Telespazio , Thales Alenia Space , MBDA and ATR . Leonardo

1651-495: A standard design averaging a hull length of 135 ft (41 m) and an average draught of 13 ft (4.0 m). The new frigates recorded sailing speeds of up to 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph), significantly faster than their predecessor vessels. In 1778, the British Admiralty introduced a larger "heavy" frigate, with a main battery of twenty-six or twenty-eight 18-pounder guns (with smaller guns carried on

1778-565: A variant of the FREMM was offered directly to the Ministry of Defence, in an attempt to protect intellectual property. This direct bid included delivery of the first ship in 2019 if accepted within the year and a fixed price of $ 30 billion for all 15 ships, versus the $ 62 billion estimated for the government's prime-contractor ship building plan. In December 2017 the offer was rejected by the Public Services and Procurement Canada , citing

1905-414: 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 maneuverability, intended to be used in scouting, escort and patrol roles. The term was applied loosely to ships varying greatly in design. In the second quarter of the 18th century, what

2032-407: Is also invaluable for search and rescue operation and has largely replaced the use of small boats or the jackstay rig for such duties as transferring personnel, mail and cargo between ships or to shore. With helicopters these tasks can be accomplished faster and less dangerously, and without the need for the frigate to slow down or change course. Frigates designed in the 1960s and 1970s, such as

2159-530: Is an example of a specialised anti-submarine warfare frigate, though it also has Sea Wolf surface-to-air missiles for point defense plus Exocet surface-to-surface missiles for limited offensive capability. Especially for anti-submarine warfare, most modern frigates have a landing deck and hangar aft to operate helicopters , eliminating the need for the frigate to close with unknown sub-surface threats, and using fast helicopters to attack nuclear submarines which may be faster than surface warships. For this task

2286-606: Is known as the " Bergamini class " (10 units planned). The lead ship of the class, Aquitaine , was commissioned in November 2012 by the French Navy . Italy has ordered six general purpose and four anti-submarine variants. France, on the other hand, has ordered six anti-submarine variants and two air-defense ones. The FREMM has also been exported to various countries. Notably, the United States Navy selected

2413-528: Is listed on the Borsa Italiana and is a constituent of the FTSE MIB and Dow Jones Sustainability Indices . As of April 2016 , the company was known by the transitional name of Leonardo-Finmeccanica, as part of the restructuring process of the company carried out by CEO Mauro Moretti from the beginning of his mandate in 2014. The company changed its name to Leonardo S.p.A. on 1 January 2017, after

2540-456: Is now generally regarded as the 'true frigate' was developed in France. This type of vessel was characterised by possessing only one armed deck, with an unarmed deck below it used for berthing the crew. Late in the 19th century (British and French prototypes were constructed in 1858), a type of powerful ironclad warships was developed, and because they had a single gun deck , the term 'frigate'

2667-592: Is rated as a frigate and is still in commission, but does not count towards Navy force levels). The remaining 20 LCSs to be acquired from 2019 and onwards that will be enhanced will be designated as frigates, and existing ships given modifications may also have their classification changed to FF as well. A few frigates have survived as museum ships. They are: These ships are classified by their respective nations as frigates, but are considered destroyers internationally due to size, armament, and role. Leonardo S.p.A. On 1 January 2016, Leonardo-Finmeccanica became

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2794-622: Is the Iver Huitfeldt class of the Royal Danish Navy . Stealth technology has been introduced in modern frigate design by the French La Fayette class design. Frigate shapes are designed to offer a minimal radar cross section , which also lends them good air penetration; the maneuverability of these frigates has been compared to that of sailing ships. Examples are the Italian and French Horizon class with

2921-585: Is the U.S. littoral combat ship (LCS). As of 2015, all Oliver Hazard Perry -class frigates in the United States Navy have been decommissioned, and their role partially being assumed by the new LCS. While the LCS class ships are smaller than the frigate class they will replace, they offer a similar degree of weaponry while requiring less than half the crew complement and offering a top speed of over 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph). A major advantage for

3048-478: The California and Virginia classes – were nuclear-powered (DLGN). These "frigates" were roughly mid-way in size between cruisers and destroyers. This was similar to the use of the term "frigate" during the age of sail during which it referred to a medium-sized warship, but it was inconsistent with conventions used by other contemporary navies which regarded frigates as being smaller than destroyers. During

3175-606: The De Zeven Provinciën -class air defence and command frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy . These ships are armed with VL Standard Missile 2 Block IIIA , one or two Goalkeeper CIWS systems, ( HNLMS  Evertsen has two Goalkeepers, the rest of the ships have the capacity for another one.) VL Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles , a special SMART-L radar and a Thales Active Phased Array Radar (APAR), all of which are for air defence. Another example

3302-461: The 1975 ship reclassification , the large American frigates were redesignated as guided-missile cruisers or destroyers (CG/CGN/DDG), while ocean escorts (the American classification for ships smaller than destroyers, with hull symbol DE/DEG ( destroyer escort )) such as the Knox -class were reclassified as frigates (FF/FFG), sometimes called "fast frigates". In the late 1970s, as a gradual successor to

3429-581: The Age of Sail . Constitution and her sister ships President and United States were created in a response to deal with the Barbary Coast pirates and in conjunction with the Naval Act of 1794 . Joshua Humphreys proposed that only live oak , a tree that grew only in America, should be used to build these ships. The British, wounded by repeated defeats in single-ship actions, responded to

3556-1404: The Aster 15 and Aster 30 missile for anti-missile capabilities, the German F125 and Sachsen -class frigates, the Turkish TF2000 type frigates with the MK-41 VLS , the Indian Shivalik , Talwar and Nilgiri classes with the Brahmos missile system and the Malaysian Maharaja Lela class with the Naval Strike Missile . The modern French Navy applies the term first-class frigate and second-class frigate to both destroyers and frigates in service. Pennant numbers remain divided between F-series numbers for those ships internationally recognised as frigates and D-series pennant numbers for those more traditionally recognised as destroyers. This can result in some confusion as certain classes are referred to as frigates in French service while similar ships in other navies are referred to as destroyers. This also results in some recent classes of French ships such as

3683-669: The Brazilian Navy . The frigates Spartaco Schergat and Emilio Bianchi under construction for the Italian Navy, would be transferred to Brazil for €1.5 billion (R$ 6.37 billion). On 22 January 2009 the Hellenic Navy announced an order for six FREMM to replace an equal number of Elli -class frigates . After the Greek government-debt crisis this was cut down to between two and four ships equipped with SCALP Naval, with France alleged to have offered them to Greece at no cost for

3810-550: The British Royal Navy were rated as Captain-class frigates. The U.S. Navy's two Canadian -built Asheville -class and 96 British-influenced, American-built Tacoma -class frigates that followed originally were classified as "patrol gunboats " (PG) in the U.S. Navy but on 15 April 1943 were all reclassified as patrol frigates (PF) . The introduction of the surface-to-air missile after World War II made relatively small ships effective for anti-aircraft warfare:

3937-695: The Damascus suburb Muadamia in May 2011, after the Syrian uprising had started, and sending engineers to Damascus in February 2012 to provide training in using the communications equipment in helicopter terminals, while the uprising continued. Finmeccanica stated that the equipment sales were legal, they occurred "before the outbreak of conflict inside Syria", and the equipment "was designed for use by emergency responders" for civilian use only. On 12 February 2013,

FREMM multipurpose frigate - Misplaced Pages Continue

4064-530: The Dutch Republic became the first navy to build the larger ocean-going frigates. The Dutch navy had three principal tasks in the struggle against Spain: to protect Dutch merchant ships at sea, to blockade the ports of Spanish-held Flanders to damage trade and halt enemy privateering , and to fight the Spanish fleet and prevent troop landings. The first two tasks required speed, shallowness of draft for

4191-657: The Eurosam Aster 15 ) allow modern guided-missile frigates to form the core of many modern navies and to be used as a fleet defence platform, without the need for specialised anti-air warfare frigates. Modern destroyers and frigates have sufficient endurance and seaworthiness for long voyages and so are considered blue water vessels, while corvettes (even the largest ones capable of carrying an anti-submarine warfare helicopter) are typically deployed in coastal or littoral zones so are regarded as brown-water or green-water vessels. According to Dr. Sidharth Kaushal of

4318-656: The Horizon class being among the largest in the world to carry the rating of frigate. The Frégates de Taille Intermédiaire (FTI), which means frigates of intermediate size, is a French military program to design and create a planned class of frigates to be used by the French Navy. At the moment, the program consists of five ships, with commissioning planned from 2023 onwards . In the German Navy , frigates were used to replace aging destroyers; however in size and role

4445-509: The Knox frigates, the US Navy introduced the 51-ship Oliver Hazard Perry -class guided-missile frigates (FFG), the last of which was decommissioned in 2015, although some serve in other navies. By 1995 the older guided-missile cruisers and destroyers were replaced by the Ticonderoga -class cruisers and Arleigh Burke -class destroyers . One of the most successful post-1945 designs was

4572-640: The Kyan Sittha-class frigate . Before the Kyan Sittha class, the Myanmar Navy also produced an Aung Zeya -class frigate . Although the size of the Myanmar Navy is quite small, it is producing modern guided-missile frigates with the help of Russia, China, and India. However, the fleets of the Myanmar Navy are still expanding with several on-going shipbuilding programmes, including one 135 m (442 ft 11 in), 4,000-tonne frigate with

4699-653: The Milan Borsa Italiana stock exchange. In 1992 Finmeccanica's Agusta became a 32% partner in NHIndustries , the prime contractor for the NH90 helicopter , along with Eurocopter (62.5%) and Fokker (5.5%). In July 2000 Finmeccanica and the British GKN agreed to merge their respective helicopter subsidiaries ( Agusta and GKN-Westland Helicopters ) to form AgustaWestland . In December 2001,

4826-667: The RIM-2 Terrier missile, upgraded to the RIM-67 Standard ER missile in the 1980s. This type of ship was intended primarily to defend aircraft carriers against anti-ship cruise missiles , augmenting and eventually replacing converted World War II cruisers (CAG/CLG/CG) in this role. The guided-missile frigates also had an anti-submarine capability that most of the World War II cruiser conversions lacked. Some of these ships – Bainbridge and Truxtun along with

4953-745: The Royal Australian Navy 's Anzac -class frigate replacement. In September 2016, Fincantieri signed a contract to participate in the Competitive Evaluation Process, conducted by the Department of Defence for nine Future Frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. In June 2018, the contract was awarded to BAE Systems to produce nine Hunter -class frigates . In January 2019, the Italian government made an offer of two Bergamini -class frigates to

5080-577: The Type 41 ( Leopard -class) air-defence frigates built on the same hull. Multi-role frigates like the MEKO 200 , Anzac and Halifax classes are designed for navies needing warships deployed in a variety of situations that a general frigate class would not be able to fulfill and not requiring the need for deploying destroyers . At the opposite end of the spectrum, some frigates are specialised for anti-submarine warfare . Increasing submarine speeds towards

5207-514: The United States Navy 's destroyer escorts (DE), although the latter had greater speed and offensive armament to better suit them to fleet deployments. The destroyer escort concept came from design studies by the General Board of the United States Navy in 1940, as modified by requirements established by a British commission in 1941 prior to the American entry into the war, for deep-water escorts. The American-built destroyer escorts serving in

FREMM multipurpose frigate - Misplaced Pages Continue

5334-521: The action of 13 January 1797 , for an example when this was decisive). The Royal Navy captured a number of the new French frigates, including Médée , during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748) and were impressed by them, particularly for their inshore handling capabilities. They soon built copies (ordered in 1747), based on a French privateer named Tygre , and started to adapt

5461-457: The broadside tactic in naval warfare. At this time, a further design evolved, reintroducing oars and resulting in galley frigates such as HMS  Charles Galley of 1676, which was rated as a 32-gun fifth-rate but also had a bank of 40 oars set below the upper deck that could propel the ship in the absence of a favorable wind. In Danish, the word "fregat" often applies to warships carrying as few as 16 guns, such as HMS  Falcon , which

5588-524: The light cruiser . Frigates are often the vessel of choice in historical naval novels due to their relative freedom compared to ships-of-the-line (kept for fleet actions) and smaller vessels (generally assigned to a home port and less widely ranging). For example, the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey–Maturin series , C. S. Forester 's Horatio Hornblower series and Alexander Kent 's Richard Bolitho series. The motion picture Master and Commander: The Far Side of

5715-520: The vertical missile launch systems . The four planned Tamandaré -class frigates of the Brazilian Navy will be responsible for introducing ships with stealth technology in the national navy and the Latin American region, with the first boat expected to be launched in 2024. Some new classes of ships similar to corvettes are optimized for high-speed deployment and combat with small craft rather than combat between equal opponents; an example

5842-575: The " Dunkirkers ", to attack the shipping of the Dutch and their allies. To achieve this the Dunkirkers developed small, maneuverable, sailing vessels that came to be referred to as frigates. The success of these Dunkirker vessels influenced the ship design of other navies contending with them, but because most regular navies required ships of greater endurance than the Dunkirker frigates could provide,

5969-592: The "guided-missile frigate". In the USN, these vessels were called " ocean escorts " and designated "DE" or "DEG" until 1975 – a holdover from the World War II destroyer escort or "DE". While the Royal Canadian Navy used similar designations for their warships built in the 1950s, the British Royal Navy maintained the use of the term "frigate"; in the 1990s the RCN re-introduced the frigate designation. Likewise,

6096-526: The 100% owned companies of the core aerospace and defence business (AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi, Oto Melara, Selex ES and WASS) being transformed into seven new Finmeccanica divisions. The current holding company will then become an operating company based on seven major business areas, maintaining its parent company and corporate centre function for the Group companies excluded from the model (DRS Technologies, Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space, MBDA and ATR). At

6223-481: The 120-kilometre (75 mi)-range Aster 30 missile. While at one point it was determined that the towed array sonar would not be fitted, this has subsequently been retained on the FREDA design. At Euronaval 2012 DCNS showed a new concept called FREMM-ER for the FREDA requirement, again based on the FREMM, but specifically mentioning the ballistic missile defense mission as well as anti-air warfare . FREMM-ER has

6350-501: The 1980s Italy's defence and aerospace industry was split into state-holding entities: EFIM  [ it ] owned the helicopters manufacturer Agusta , the defence company Oto Melara and the electronic enterprise Officine Galileo . STET (another IRI subsidiary) held Selenia , Elsag and SGS Thomson , all electronic enterprises with specializations in security and defense. In 1989, an internal IRI reorganization process brought STET electronic enterprises to Finmeccanica, and

6477-627: The 9,137 ton vessel to speeds of up to 14 knots and rifled breechloading 110-pdr guns, Warrior is the ancestor of all modern warships. During the 1880s, as warship design shifted from iron to steel and cruising warships without sails started to appear, the term "frigate" fell out of use. Vessels with armoured sides were designated as " battleships " or " armoured cruisers ", while " protected cruisers " only possessed an armoured deck, and unarmoured vessels, including frigates and sloops, were classified as " unprotected cruisers ". Modern frigates are related to earlier frigates only by name. The term "frigate"

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6604-467: The Aeritalia-Selenia merger constituted its aerospace subsidiary Alenia . In 1992 EFIM was wound up because of its troubled financial situation; and Agusta, Oto Melara, Officine Galileo and Breda passed to Finmeccanica, which became one of the main Italian industrial groups. Finmeccanica, which was previously fully state owned by IRI, became partly privatized in 1993, when it was listed in

6731-582: The American destroyer escort , frigates are usually less expensive to build and maintain. Small anti-submarine escorts designed for naval use from scratch had previously been classified as sloops by the Royal Navy, and the Black Swan -class sloops of 1939–1945 (propelled by steam turbines as opposed to cheaper triple-expansion steam engines) were as large as the new types of frigate, and more heavily armed. 22 of these were reclassified as frigates after

6858-593: The British Leander -class frigate, which was used by several navies. Laid down in 1959, the Leander class was based on the previous Type 12 anti-submarine frigate but equipped for anti-aircraft use as well. They were used by the UK into the 1990s, at which point some were sold onto other navies. The Leander design, or improved versions of it, were licence-built for other navies as well. Nearly all modern frigates are equipped with some form of offensive or defensive missiles, and as such are rated as guided-missile frigates (FFG). Improvements in surface-to-air missiles (e.g.,

6985-410: The British classified as a sloop. Under the rating system of the Royal Navy , by the middle of the 18th century, the term "frigate" was technically restricted to single-decked ships of the fifth rate , though small 28-gun frigates classed as sixth rate . The classic sailing frigate, or 'true frigate', well-known today for its role in the Napoleonic Wars , can be traced back to French developments in

7112-446: The Egyptian crew in the technology of the ship and DCNS and its partners accompanied the crew for a period of 15 months. On 23 June 2015, French naval shipbuilder DCNS transferred the FREMM frigate Tahya Misr (ex- Normandie ) to the Egyptian Navy. A ceremony took place to transfer Normandie , renamed Tahya Misr ("Long Live Egypt") to Egypt, in the presence of General Sedki Sobhy , the Egyptian Minister of Defense, Jean-Yves Le Drian ,

7239-410: The English and Spanish to the lighter frigates, carrying around 40 guns and weighing around 300 tons. The effectiveness of the Dutch frigates became most evident in the Battle of the Downs in 1639, encouraging most other navies, especially the English, to adopt similar designs. The fleets built by the Commonwealth of England in the 1650s generally consisted of ships described as "frigates",

7366-465: The French Minister of Defense, Admiral Osama Rabie, Egyptian Navy Commander in Chief, Admiral Bernard Rogel, the French Chief of Navy and Hervé Guillou, Chairman & CEO of DCNS. The initial Italian sale might be followed by the subsequent acquisition of two additional FREMM frigates by Egypt. In April 2021, the second FREMM Bergamini -class frigate, ENS Bernees , joined the Egyptian Navy. The first one joined on 31 December 2020. On 24 October 2007, it

7493-606: The French Navy refers to missile-equipped ships, up to cruiser-sized ships ( Suffren , Tourville , and Horizon classes ), by the name of "frégate", while smaller units are named aviso . The Soviet Navy used the term "guard-ship" ( сторожевой корабль ). From the 1950s to the 1970s, the United States Navy commissioned ships classed as guided-missile frigates ( hull classification symbol DLG or DLGN, literally meaning guided-missile destroyer leaders ), which were actually anti-aircraft warfare cruisers built on destroyer -style hulls. These had one or two twin launchers per ship for

7620-494: The French Navy. The SYLVER A70 VLS and NETTUNO-4100 jamming equipment were removed due to export limitations for such sensitive equipment. The crew will be around 126 sailors compared to 108 in the French Navy. The SATCOM antenna for the French Syracuse satellites was also taken down; however, Egypt will use its own military telecommunications satellite, supplied by Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space , in conjunction with its naval vessels. From March 2015, DCNS trained

7747-464: The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The British produced larger, 38-gun, and slightly smaller, 36-gun, versions and also a 32-gun design that can be considered an 'economy version'. The 32-gun frigates also had the advantage that they could be built by the many smaller, less-specialised shipbuilders. Frigates could (and usually did) additionally carry smaller carriage-mounted guns on their quarterdecks and forecastles (the superstructures above

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7874-433: The Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini reported that the Greek government was set to enter talks with France regarding the procurement of two FREMM frigates, with an option for an additional two. Contacts between Greece and France were to begin initially at a military level, starting in February 2018. In April 2018, Greek deputy Minister for National Defence Fotis Kouvelis stated that an agreement between France and Greece

8001-656: The Horizon-class frigates in 2005 on budget grounds, requirements for an air-defence derivative of the FREMM called FREDA were placed – with DCNS coming up with several proposals. Expectations were that the last two ships of the 17 FREMM planned would be built to FREDA specifications; however, by 2008 the plan was revised down to just 11 FREMM (9 ASW variants and 2 FREDA variants) at a cost of €8.75 billion (FY13, ~US$ 12 billion). The 11 ships would cost €670 million (~US$ 760m) each in FY2014, or €860m (~US$ 980m) including development costs. The 2013 White Paper on Defence and National Security committed France to 15 front-line frigates, which

8128-421: The Italian government has approved funding for all ten FREMM-IT to be delivered to the Italian Navy (four ASW variants and six GP variants). FREMM-IT 9 & 10 will have undisclosed enhanced capabilities. All ten Italian FREMM-ITs have extended AAW capabilities, with SAAM-ESD CMS, Aster 30 and Aster 15 missiles for extended area defence. SAAM-ESD CMS use Leonardo MFRA, a 3D active radar (AESA), an evolved version of

8255-400: The Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci . Società Finanziaria Meccanica, "Finmeccanica", was established in 1948 as the mechanical engineering subholding of the state-owned Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI). Finmeccanica has held for years some historic Italian enterprises, as Alfa Romeo (automobiles), Aeritalia (aerospace) and Ansaldo (engineering). From the 1960s to

8382-467: The LCS ships is that they are designed around specific mission modules allowing them to fulfill a variety of roles. The modular system also allows for most upgrades to be performed ashore and installed later into the ship, keeping the ships available for deployment for the maximum time. The latest U.S. deactivation plans mean that this is the first time that the U.S. Navy has been without a frigate class of ships since 1943 (technically USS  Constitution

8509-453: The Leonardo EMPAR PESA radar (previously embarked on Horizon-class destroyers and the Cavour ). Since the seventh FREMM-IT, there will be updates, such as new conformal IFF antenna and much more stealth response. Since the ninth FREMM-IT, SCLAR-H was replaced with Leonardo ODLS-20. In 2017 the Italian FREMM refit started with the installation on each of two SITEP MS-424 acoustic guns. In 2020 Italy sold its last two FREMM-class frigates in

8636-414: The Leonardo Vulcano and Strales/DART guided munitions. From late May to early June 2018, the Italian Navy deployed Alpino on a good will visit to the United States along the Eastern seaboard, making port calls in Norfolk , Baltimore , New York City , and Boston . She was visited by several US Navy officials who toured her as a potential FFG(X) candidate. Among the visitors was the Italian Ambassador to

8763-554: The Navy Kenneth Braithwaite announced that first FFG(X) frigate would be named Constellation . Egypt ordered two Italian FREMM frigates in 2020 and one French FREMM frigate in 2015. On 16 February 2015, the Egyptian Navy ordered one FREMM vessel to enter service before the opening of the New Suez Canal , as part of a larger deal (including 24 Dassault Rafale aircraft and a supply of missiles) worth US$ 5.9 billion (€5.2 billion). In order to keep to Egypt's deadlines, France offered to send Normandie , originally intended for

8890-444: The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, describing the difference between 21st century destroyers and frigates, the larger "destroyers can more easily carry and generate the power for more powerful high-resolution radar and a larger number of vertical launch cells. They can thus provide theatre wide air and missile defence for forces such as a carrier battle group and typically serve this function". By contrast

9017-478: The US Navy's Knox -class frigate , West Germany's Bremen -class frigate , and Royal Navy's Type 22 frigate were equipped with a small number of short-ranged surface-to-air missiles ( Sea Sparrow or Sea Wolf ) for point defense only. By contrast newer frigates starting with the Oliver Hazard Perry -class frigate are specialised for "zone-defense" air defence , because of the major developments in fighter jets and ballistic missiles . Recent examples include

9144-591: The United Kingdom, Poland and the United States. Moreover, Leonardo has gained a significant presence in France and Germany, and is a partner for various international industrial collaborations. The company is an ITER supplier. In December 2021, Leonardo Electronics announced it would be building a semiconductor device fabrication facility in Oro Valley, Arizona with construction beginning in

9271-462: The United States, Armando Varricchio. On 30 April 2020, the US Navy announced that Fincantieri had been awarded a $ 795 million contract for the first FFG(X), to be built at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin . The contract includes options for an additional nine ships, which, if all options were exercised, would value the contract at $ 5.5 billion. On 7 October 2020, US Secretary of

9398-497: The World features a reconstructed historic frigate, HMS Rose , to depict Aubrey's frigate HMS Surprise . Vessels classed as frigates continued to play a great role in navies with the adoption of steam power in the 19th century. In the 1830s, navies experimented with large paddle steamers equipped with large guns mounted on one deck, which were termed "paddle frigates". From the mid-1840s on, frigates which more closely resembled

9525-473: The avionics, C4ISTAR and communications businesses of the two companies. In March 2007, BAE Systems sold its 25% share to Finmeccanica for €400 million. In January 2013 the company merged with Finmeccanica's other defence electronics companies, SELEX Elsag and SELEX Sistemi Integrati , to become Selex ES . In May 2008 Finmeccanica announced its intention to purchase the U.S. defense contractor DRS Technologies for nearly $ 5.2 billion. In October 2008

9652-528: The battle line in an emergency. In the 1790s the French built a small number of large 24-pounder frigates, such as Forte and Egyptienne , they also cut-down (reduced the height of the hull to give only one continuous gun deck) a number of older ships-of-the-line (including Diadème ) to produce super-heavy frigates; the resulting ship was known as a rasée . It is not known whether the French were seeking to produce very potent cruisers or merely to address stability problems in old ships. The British, alarmed by

9779-635: The chief executive, Giuseppe Orsi , was arrested on corruption charges. Prosecutors alleged that he paid bribes to ensure the sale of 12 helicopters to the Indian government, when he was head of the group's AgustaWestland unit. In July 2013, the Letta government appointed former police chief Giovanni De Gennaro as Chairman of Finmeccanica. In December 2013 Finmeccanica sold 39.55% of its share capital in Ansaldo Energia to Fondo Strategico Italiano. In

9906-627: The corvette, allowing manufacture by yards unused to warship construction. The first frigates of the River class (1941) were essentially two sets of corvette machinery in one larger hull, armed with the latest Hedgehog anti-submarine weapon. The frigate possessed less offensive firepower and speed than a destroyer , including an escort destroyer , but such qualities were not required for anti-submarine warfare. Submarines were slow while submerged, and ASDIC sets did not operate effectively at speeds of over 20 knots (23  mph ; 37  km/h ). Rather,

10033-404: The current production line ( Spartaco Schergat and Emilio Bianchi ) to Egypt. Spartaco Schergat was in the final stage of her sea trials while Emilio Bianchi would follow within one year. The deal reportedly also involved other military equipment and was worth 1.2 billion USD. Italy then order two additional FREMM frigates to replace those transferred to Egypt with the anticipated delivery of

10160-416: The early 2030s. On 16 April 2021 the French Navy received Alsace , the first of the two air defence FREMM frigates ordered. The primary role of the air defence frigates is conducting the anti-aircraft defense of critical units such as the French aircraft carrier  Charles de Gaulle and Mistral class landing helicopter docks . Besides being equipped with Aster 15 and Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles ,

10287-547: The end of 2014, Finmeccanica transferred its stake in BredaMenarinibus to the newco Industria Italiana Autobus (20% Finmeccanica and 80% King Long), thereby taking a further step in the Group's portfolio rationalization process. In 2015, Hitachi signed a binding agreement with Finmeccanica for Hitachi's acquisition of the AnsaldoBreda business , excluding some revamping activities and residual contracts, and of

10414-635: The end of World War II (see German Type XXI submarine ) greatly reduced the margin of speed superiority of frigate over submarine. The frigate could no longer be slow and powered by mercantile machinery and consequently postwar frigates, such as the Whitby class , were faster. Such ships carry improved sonar equipment, such as the variable depth sonar or towed array , and specialised weapons such as torpedoes , forward-throwing weapons such as Limbo and missile-carried anti-submarine torpedoes such as ASROC or Ikara . The Royal Navy's original Type 22 frigate

10541-737: The entire Finmeccanica stake in the share capital of Ansaldo STS , approximately 40% of the total capital. FATA, another subsidiary of the Finmeccanica Group since 2004 that was not part of the core business, was sold in 2015 to the Gruppo Danieli, dealing in the production of steel plants. On 1 January 2016, Finmeccanica became a single integrated industrial entity, that absorbed the activities of AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi, Selex ES, OTO Melara and WASS. A company rebranding operation led by Mauro Moretti began in March 2016, with

10668-456: The firepower, measured in weight of metal (the combined weight of all projectiles fired in one broadside), of these vessels. The disadvantages of the carronade were that it had a much shorter range and was less accurate than a long gun. The British quickly saw the advantages of the new weapon and soon employed it on a wide scale. The US Navy also copied the design soon after its appearance. The French and other nations eventually adopted variations of

10795-653: The first five years. Germany objected to this deal in October 2011 and no deal has been signed. In February 2013 though and during the formal visit of the President of France , François Hollande , in Athens , according to press reports an agreement which includes the long-term leasing of two FREMM frigates ( Normandie and Provence according to initial reports) to the Hellenic Navy has been reached. On 12 January 2018

10922-465: The first half of 2014, Finmeccanica's new Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Mauro Moretti started a significant process of change for the Group, both in terms of strategic choices and organizational structure. The goal was to create a more cohesive and efficient group in which all processes (research, marketing and sales, engineering, procurement, strategies and governance) are centralized and integrated and can interact each other. This encompasses

11049-479: The first two cost €1.35B each, but this decision left French Navy still in-need of replacements for its aging Cassard -class air-defence frigates. As of 2009, the FREDA design features a more powerful version of the Héraklès passive electronically scanned array radar and 32 cells of SYLVER A50 vertical launch system in place of the 16 cells of A43 and 16 cells of A70. The SYLVER A50 would allow it to fire

11176-441: The fleet, went on commerce-raiding missions and patrols, and conveyed messages and dignitaries. Usually, frigates would fight in small numbers or singly against other frigates. They would avoid contact with ships-of-the-line; even in the midst of a fleet engagement it was bad etiquette for a ship of the line to fire on an enemy frigate which had not fired first. Frigates were involved in fleet battles, often as "repeating frigates". In

11303-539: The frigate was an austere and weatherly vessel suitable for mass-construction and fitted with the latest innovations in anti-submarine warfare. As the frigate was intended purely for convoy duties, and not to deploy with the fleet, it had limited range and speed. It was not until the Royal Navy's Bay class of 1944 that a British design classified as a "frigate" was produced for fleet use, although it still suffered from limited speed. These anti-aircraft frigates, built on incomplete Loch-class frigate hulls, were similar to

11430-402: The helicopter is equipped with sensors such as sonobuoys , wire-mounted dipping sonar and magnetic anomaly detectors to identify possible threats, and torpedoes or depth-charges to attack them. With their onboard radar helicopters can also be used to reconnoitre over-the-horizon targets and, if equipped with anti-ship missiles such as Penguin or Sea Skua , to attack them. The helicopter

11557-410: The largest of which were two-decker "great frigates" of the third rate . Carrying 60 guns, these vessels were as big and capable as "great ships" of the time; however, most other frigates at the time were used as " cruisers ": independent fast ships. The term "frigate" implied a long hull -design, which relates directly to speed (see hull speed ) and which also, in turn, helped the development of

11684-450: The line and clear from the smoke and disorder of battle, could be more easily seen by the other ships of the fleet. If damage or loss of masts prevented the flagship from making clear conventional signals, the repeating frigates could interpret them and hoist their own in the correct manner, passing on the commander's instructions clearly. For officers in the Royal Navy, a frigate was a desirable posting. Frigates often saw action, which meant

11811-407: The line, and after a series of losses at the outbreak of the War of 1812 , Royal Navy fighting instructions ordered British frigates (usually rated at 38 guns or less) to never engage the large American frigates at any less than a 2:1 advantage. USS  Constitution , preserved as a museum ship by the US Navy, is the oldest commissioned warship afloat, and is a surviving example of a frigate from

11938-419: The missile business of Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS), a joint Finmeccanica/ BAE Systems company, was merged with other European missile manufacturers to form MBDA , which became the world's second largest missile manufacturer. In July 2003 Finmeccanica and BAE Systems announced their intention to set up three joint venture companies, to be collectively known as Eurosystems . These companies would have pooled

12065-482: The name of this type of ship. The term "frigate" (Italian: fregata ; Dutch: fregat ; Spanish/Catalan/Portuguese/Sicilian: fragata ; French: frégate ) originated in the Mediterranean in the late 15th century, referring to a lighter galley -type warship with oars, sails and a light armament, built for speed and maneuverability. The etymology of the word remains uncertain, although it may have originated as

12192-499: The new German frigates exceed the former class of destroyers. The future German F125-class frigates are the largest class of frigates worldwide with a displacement of more than 7,200 tons. The same was done in the Spanish Navy , which went ahead with the deployment of the first Aegis frigates, the Álvaro de Bazán -class frigates. The Myanmar Navy is producing modern frigates with a reduced radar cross section known as

12319-435: The order for Italy remained unchanged. The land-attack variant (AVT) was subsequently cancelled. A third anti-air warfare variant of FREMM was proposed by DCNS in response to French requirements for a new air-defence frigate, the new variant became known as FREDA (" FREgates de Défense Aériennes ", "Air defence frigate"). This new French requirement was due to the third and fourth Horizon-class frigates being cancelled after

12446-464: The position of Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, Mr. Stefano Pontecorvo to the role of Chairman, Mr. Lorenzo Mariani to the role of Co-General Manager. Leonardo is present worldwide in about 20 countries (42% in Italy and 58% abroad). Commercially, there are about 150 countries in the world that use products, systems and services supplied by Leonardo. Its production activities and its main industrial and commercial bases are located in Italy,

12573-778: The prospect of these powerful heavy frigates, responded by rasée-ing three of their smaller 64-gun battleships, including Indefatigable , which went on to have a very successful career as a frigate. At this time the British also built a few 24-pounder-armed large frigates, the most successful of which was HMS  Endymion (1,277 tons). In 1797, three of the United States Navy 's first six major ships were rated as 44-gun frigates, which operationally carried fifty-six to sixty 24-pounder long guns and 32-pounder or 42-pounder carronades on two decks; they were exceptionally powerful. These ships were so large, at around 1,500 tons, and well-armed that they were often regarded as equal to ships of

12700-422: The quarterdeck and forecastle). This move may reflect the naval conditions at the time, with both France and Spain as enemies the usual British preponderance in ship numbers was no longer the case and there was pressure on the British to produce cruisers of individually greater force. In reply, the first French 18-pounder frigates were laid down in 1781. The 18-pounder frigate eventually became the standard frigate of

12827-441: The quarterdeck and forecastle. Technically, 'rated ships' with fewer than 28 guns could not be classed as frigates but as " post ships "; however, in common parlance most post ships were often described as "frigates", the same casual misuse of the term being extended to smaller two-decked ships that were too small to stand in the line of battle. A total of fifty-nine French sailing frigates were built between 1777 and 1790, with

12954-520: The remaining three would be. In 2014, the French Navy's Chief of Staff, Admiral Bernard Rogel , confirmed that 11 FREMM frigates had been ordered but in 2015 the order was cut to 8 in order to allow for the introduction of five FTI mid-Size frigates from 2024. The FTI will replace the La Fayette class in "first-rank" roles, with three of the La Fayette s also being fitted with active sonar and other improvements so as to extend their service life into

13081-444: The replacements by 2025, with a new GP&ASW enhanced configuration, named GP-e. On 31 July 2024 Italy ordered to OCCAR, for 1,5 billion Euros, another 2 FREMM (bringing class fleet to 12 vessels), named FREMM-EVO, based on FREMM-ASW hull, with widely improvements (PPAs DBR double radar, integrated X & C band, ATBM capability with Aster 30B1NT missiles, VDS Captas-4, 2 x Lionfish 30 mm to replace 25/80 mm, ecc.) The original plan

13208-501: The sale of DRS Technologies was finalized. During 2011–2013, Finmeccanica emails were published by WikiLeaks and Finmeccanica was subject to judicial inquiries on several fronts and management changes. According to Finmeccanica emails published in the Syria Files release by WikiLeaks on 5 July 2012, Finmeccanica increased its sale of mobile communications equipment to Syrian authorities during 2011, delivering 500 of these to

13335-486: The same strategic role. The phrase "armoured frigate" remained in use for some time to denote a sail-equipped, broadside-firing type of ironclad. The first such ship was the revolutionary Marine Nationale wooden-hulled Gloire , protected by 12 cm-thick (4.7 in) armour plates. The British response was HMS  Warrior of the Warrior-class ironclads, launched in 1860. With her iron hull, steam engines propelling

13462-446: The second quarter of the 18th century. The French-built Médée of 1740 is often regarded as the first example of this type. These ships were square-rigged and carried all their main guns on a single continuous upper deck. The lower deck, known as the "gun deck", now carried no armament, and functioned as a "berth deck" where the crew lived, and was in fact placed below the waterline of the new frigates. The typical earlier cruiser had

13589-523: The shallow waters around the Netherlands, and the ability to carry sufficient supplies to maintain a blockade. The third task required heavy armament, sufficient to stand up to the Spanish fleet. The first of the larger battle-capable frigates were built around 1600 at Hoorn in Holland . By the later stages of the Eighty Years' War the Dutch had switched entirely from the heavier ships still used by

13716-767: The ship holds Exocet MM 40 anti-ship missiles and the MU 90 torpedo system . On 10 July 2017, it was reported that the United States Congress was interested in foreign designs such as the Fincantieri FREMM for the US Navy's FFG(X) Program. According to Representative Rob Wittman , chairman of the United States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces , the US Congress

13843-492: The smaller "frigates are thus usually used as escort vessels to protect sea lines of communication or as an auxiliary component of a strike group". The largest and powerful destroyers are often classified as cruisers, such as the Ticonderoga -class cruisers , due to their extra armament and facilities to serve as fleet flagships. The Royal Navy Type 61 ( Salisbury class) were "air direction" frigates equipped to track aircraft. To this end they had reduced armament compared to

13970-432: The smoke and confusion of battle, signals made by the fleet commander, whose flagship might be in the thick of the fighting, might be missed by the other ships of the fleet. Frigates were therefore stationed to windward or leeward of the main line of battle , and had to maintain a clear line of sight to the commander's flagship. Signals from the flagship were then repeated by the frigates, which themselves standing out of

14097-474: The success of the American 44s in three ways. They built a class of conventional 40-gun, 24-pounder armed frigates on the lines of Endymion . They cut down three old 74-gun Ships-of-the-Line into rasées , producing frigates with a 32-pounder main armament, supplemented by 42-pounder carronades. These had an armament that far exceeded the power of the American ships. Finally, Leander and Newcastle , 1,500-ton spar-decked frigates (with an enclosed waist, giving

14224-458: The term soon came to apply less exclusively to any relatively fast and elegant sail-only warship. In French, the term "frigate" gave rise to a verb – frégater , meaning 'to build long and low', and to an adjective, adding more confusion. Even the huge English Sovereign of the Seas could be described as "a delicate frigate" by a contemporary after her upper decks were reduced in 1651. The navy of

14351-572: The traditional sailing frigate were built with steam engines and screw propellers . These " screw frigates ", built first of wood and later of iron , continued to perform the traditional role of the frigate until late in the 19th century. From 1859, armour was added to ships based on existing frigate and ship of the line designs. The additional weight of the armour on these first ironclad warships meant that they could have only one gun deck, and they were technically frigates, even though they were more powerful than existing ships-of-the-line and occupied

14478-444: The type to their own needs, setting the standard for other frigates as the leading naval power. The first British frigates carried 28 guns including an upper deck battery of twenty-four 9-pounder guns (the remaining four smaller guns were carried on the quarterdeck ) but soon developed into fifth-rate ships of 32 or 36 guns including an upper deck battery of twenty-six 12-pounder guns, with the remaining six or ten smaller guns carried on

14605-464: The unsolicited nature of the bid as undermining the fair and competitive nature of the procurement". In October 2018, the Type 26 design was chosen by Canada as the winner of the program. On 8 February 2019, a contact was signed by Canada to build Type 26 vessels. In April 2016, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed that the Italian FREMM class was one of three frigates shortlisted for

14732-505: The upper deck). In 1778 the Carron Iron Company of Scotland produced a naval gun which would revolutionise the armament of smaller naval vessels, including the frigate. The carronade was a large calibre, short-barrelled naval cannon which was light, quick to reload and needed a smaller crew than a conventional long gun. Due to its lightness it could be mounted on the forecastle and quarterdeck of frigates. It greatly increased

14859-478: The war, as were the remaining 24 smaller Castle-class corvettes. The frigate was introduced to remedy some of the shortcomings inherent in the Flower-class corvette design: limited armament, a hull form not suited to open-ocean work, a single shaft which limited speed and maneuverability, and a lack of range. The frigate was designed and built to the same mercantile construction standards ( scantlings ) as

14986-591: The weapon in succeeding decades. The typical heavy frigate had a main armament of 18-pounder long guns, plus 32-pounder carronades mounted on its upper decks. The first 'super-heavy frigates', armed with 24-pounder long guns, were built by the naval architect F H Chapman for the Swedish navy in 1782. Because of a shortage of ships-of-the-line, the Swedes wanted these frigates, the Bellona class, to be able to stand in

15113-410: The word 'frigate' principally for large ocean-going anti-submarine warfare (ASW) combatants, others have used the term to describe ships that are otherwise recognizable as corvettes, destroyers, and even nuclear-powered guided-missile cruisers . Some European navies use the term for ships that would formerly have been called destroyers, as well as for frigates. The rank " frigate captain " derives from

15240-644: Was announced that the Royal Moroccan Navy had ordered one FREMM to replace its Descubierta -class corvette . The contract was signed on 18 April 2008 and construction of the Moroccan FREMM began in the summer 2008 with delivery expected in 2012 or 2013; Mohammed VI was launched in September 2011 and handed over on 30 January 2014. The Moroccan ship is similar to the French anti-submarine version, without SYLVER A70 tubes for MdCN cruise missile, and cost €470m. On 10 June 2021, Indonesia signed

15367-724: Was comfortable with models such as Fincantieri's partnership with Lockheed Martin to build the Freedom version of the littoral combat ship (LCS). If the Italian FREMM design is selected, the Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin , part of the Fincantieri group, would build the guided-missile frigates. Marinette Marine is best known for the US Navy Freedom -class LCS. On 16 February 2018, Fincantieri Marine

15494-464: Was for 17 FREMM to replace the nine D'Estienne d'Orves -class avisos and nine anti-submarine frigates of the Tourville and Georges Leygues classes . In November 2005 France announced a contract of €3.5 billion for development and the first eight hulls, with options for nine more costing €2.95 billion split over two tranches (totaling 17). Following the cancellation of the third and fourth of

15621-486: Was initially interpreted as 2 Horizons, 5 La Fayette s and a reduction in the FREMM fleet down to 8 ships. The 2014–2019 defence plan restated a target of 11 frigates; of which six ASW FREMM variants would be delivered to replace the Georges Leygues -class frigates by 2019, followed by two anti-air variants to replace the ageing Cassard -class frigates and a decision was to have been taken in 2016 on what version

15748-519: Was one of five companies awarded a $ 15 million contract for conceptual design of FFG(X), which the Navy would evaluate over 16 months ahead of a final request for proposal in 2019 and contract award in 2020. On 30 June 2017, it was announced that Leonardo and BAE Systems will collaborate to provide the US military forces with a wide range of upgraded munitions for advanced, large-calibre weapon systems such as

15875-556: Was reached for a five-year lease of two FREMM frigates, which could have been handed over as early as August 2018. After a few days, on 25 April 2018 the Greek minister of Defense Panos Kammenos denied any information regarding the purchase of two frigates from France. Eventually, Greece abandoned all plans for the purchase of FREMMs in 2019 and pursued with the smaller FDI Belharra multi-purpose frigates , offered by Naval Group . Frigate A frigate ( / ˈ f r ɪ ɡ ɪ t / )

16002-580: Was readopted during the Second World War by the British Royal Navy to describe an anti-submarine escort vessel that was larger than a corvette (based on a mercantile design), while smaller than a destroyer . The vessels were originally to be termed "twin screw corvettes" until the Royal Canadian Navy suggested to the British re-introducing the term "frigate" for the significantly enlarged vessels. Equal in size and capability to

16129-486: Was used to describe them. Later developments in ironclad ships rendered the 'frigate' designation obsolete and the term fell out of favour. During the Second World War , the name 'frigate' was reintroduced to describe a seagoing escort ship that was intermediate in size between a corvette and a destroyer . After World War II, a wide variety of ships have been classified as frigates, and the reasons for such classification have not been consistent. While some navies have used

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