 AnEsmeraldas-class corvette training off the coast of Ecuador in 1999. | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Esmeraldas class |
| Operators |  Ecuadorian Navy |
| In commission | 1982–present |
| Planned | 6 |
| Completed | 6 |
| Active | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Corvette |
| Displacement | 685 ton |
| Length | 57.8 m (189 ft 8 in) |
| Beam | 9.3 m (30 ft 6 in) |
| Draft | 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) |
| Propulsion | 4 shaft MTU diesel engines, 24,400 hp (18,200 kW) |
| Speed | 37knots (69 km/h; 43 mph) |
| Complement | 51 |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | Bell 206helicopter |
| Aviation facilities | Small helipad |
TheEsmeraldas-class corvettes are a class ofcorvette in service with theEcuadorian Navy, built inItaly byFincantieri, entering service in the early 1980s.
The vessels were built on theType 550 corvette design, similar to theAssad andLaksamana-class corvettes, built primarily for export.
Six corvettes were ordered by theEcuadorian Navy from the Italian shipbuilderCantieri Navali Riuniti (CNR) (now part ofFincantieri) in 1978[1][2] or 1979.[3][4] They were a developed version of CNR'sWadi M'ragh missile corvettes built forLibya in the late 1970s, with more powerful engines giving a higher speed and revised armament and equipment.[2][5]
The ships are 62.3 m (204 ft 5 in)long overall and 57.8 m (189 ft 8 in)between perpendiculars, with abeam of 9.3 m (30 ft 6 in) and aDraft of 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in).[6]Displacement is 685 long tons (696 t) full load.[3] FourMTU MA20 V 956 TB 92diesel engines rated at a total of 24,400 shp (18,200 kW) maximum power and 22,140 shp (16,510 kW) sustained power drive four propeller shafts, giving a short-term maximum speed of 37 kn (43 mph; 69 km/h) and a sustained speed of 34 kn (39 mph; 63 km/h).[3][4] The ships have a range of 1,200 nmi (1,400 mi; 2,200 km) at 31 kn (36 mph; 57 km/h), 4,000 nmi (4,600 mi; 7,400 km) at 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)[2] and 4,400 nmi (5,100 mi; 8,100 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h). The ships have a crew of 51.[3][4]
The ships can carry sixExocet MM40anti-ship missiles in two triple mounts amidships, with a range of 70 km (38 nmi; 43 mi), while a quadruple launcher for the Albatrossurface to air missile system, firing theAspide missile with a range of 13 km (7.0 nmi; 8.1 mi) is mounted at the aft end of the ship's superstructure, behind the mast. (No reload missiles are carried). AnOTO Melara 76 mm Compact gun is fitted forward and a twinBofors 40 mm anti-aircraft mount is fitted aft. Two triple 324 mm torpedo tubes are fitted, capable of launching Italian WhiteheadA244 anti-submarine torpedoes. A helipad is positioned between the Exocet launchers and the Bofors mounts, allowing aBell 206 helicopter to be operated, although no hangar is provided for the helicopter.[2]
Sensors include a Selenia RAN-10S air/surface search radar, two Selenia Orion 10X fire control radars and a Thomson Sintra Diodon hull-mounted sonar.[4]
| Ecuadorian Navy - Esmeraldas class | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hull number[4] | Shipyard[4] | Laid down[4] | Launched[4] | Commissioned[4] | Status | |||||
| Esmeraldas | CM-11 | CNR Muggiano | 27 September 1979 | 1 October 1980 | 7 August 1982 | In service | |||||
| Manabí | CM-12 | CNR Ancona | 19 February 1980 | 9 February 1981 | 21 June 1983 | In service | |||||
| Los Rios | CM-13 | CNR Muggiano | 5 December 1979 | 27 February 1981 | 9 October 1983 | In service | |||||
| El Oro | CM-14 | CNR Ancona | 20 March 1980 | 9 February 1981 | 11 December 1983 | In service | |||||
| Galápagos | CM-15 | CNR Muggiano | 4 December 1980 | 4 July 1981 | 26 May 1984 | In service | |||||
| Loja | CM-16 | CNR Ancona | 24 March 1981 | 27 February 1982 | 26 May 1984 | In service | |||||
El Oro was badly damaged by a fire on 14 April 1985, and took two years to repair.[2] Two of the ships had their torpedo tubes removed for transfer to the twoLeander-classfrigates purchased from the BritishRoyal Navy in 1991 (BAEPresidente Eloy Alfaro andBAEMorán Valverde). It was planned to upgrade the ships' combat and fire control systems in 1993–1994, but a lack of funds prevented these changes.[4]
Three of the vessels of the class (Los Rios,Manabí andLoja) were refitted to extend their life byAstinave, being re-delivered in 2017–2018. Changes included fitting a locally developed combat management system called Orion.[7]