Afrigate (/ˈfrɪɡɪt/) is a type ofwarship. 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 anyfull-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 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 powerfulironclad warships was developed, and because they had a singlegun deck, the term 'frigate' was used to describe them. Later developments in ironclad ships rendered the 'frigate' designation obsolete and the term fell out of favour.
During theSecond World War, the name 'frigate' was reintroduced to describe a seagoingescort ship that was intermediate in size between acorvette and adestroyer. After World War II, several kinds of ships have been classified as frigates, and the reasons for such classification have not been consistent. While some navies have used the word 'frigate' principally for large ocean-goinganti-submarine warfare (ASW) combatants, others have used it to describe ships that are otherwise recognizable as corvettes, destroyers, and even nuclear-powered guided-missilecruisers. Some European navies use the term for ships that would formerly have been called destroyers, as well as for frigates.[1] The rank "frigate captain" derives from the name of this type of ship.
The term "frigate" (Italian:fregata; Dutch:fregat; Spanish/Catalan/Portuguese/Sicilian:fragata; French:frégate) originated in theMediterranean in the late 15th century, referring to a lightergalley-type warship with oars, sails and a light armament, built for speed and maneuverability.[2]
Light frigate, circa 1675–1680
The etymology of the word remains uncertain, although it may have originated as acorruption ofaphractus, aLatin word for an open vessel with no lower deck.Aphractus, in turn, derived from theAncient Greek phrase ἄφρακτος ναῦς (aphraktos naus) – "undefended ship"[citation needed]. In 1583, during theEighty Years' War of 1568–1648,Habsburg Spain recovered thesouthern Netherlands from the Protestant rebels. This soon resulted in the use of the occupied ports as bases forprivateers, 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, 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 EnglishSovereign of the Seas could be described as "a delicate frigate" by a contemporary after her upper decks were reduced in 1651.[3]
The navy of theDutch 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-heldFlanders to damage trade and halt enemyprivateering, and to fight the Spanish fleet and prevent troop landings. The first two tasks required speed, shallowness of draft for 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 atHoorn inHolland.[4] By the later stages of theEighty Years' War (1568–1648) the Dutch had switched entirely from the heavier ships still used by the English and Spanish to the lighter frigates, carrying around 40 guns and weighing around 300 tons.[citation needed] In the 17th century, the termfregat in theDutch Navy described any oceangoing warship carrying fewer than 40 guns.[5] The effectiveness of the Dutch frigates became most evident in theBattle of the Downs in 1639, encouraging most other navies, especially the English, to adopt similar designs.[6]
The fleets built by theCommonwealth of England in the 1650s generally consisted of ships described as "frigates", the largest of which weretwo-decker "great frigates" of thethird 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 longhull-design, which relates directly to speed (seehull speed) and which also, in turn, helped the development of thebroadside tactic in naval warfare.[citation needed]
At this time, a further design evolved, reintroducing oars and resulting in galley frigates such asHMS Charles Galley of 1676, which was rated as a 32-gunfifth-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 applied to warships carrying as few as 16 guns, such asHMS Falcon, which the British classified as a sloop. Under therating system of the Royal Navy, by the middle of the 18th century, the term "frigate" was technically restricted to single-decked ships of thefifth rate, though small 28-gun frigates classed assixth rate.[2]
The classic sailing frigate, or 'true frigate', well-known today for its role in theNapoleonic Wars, can be traced back to French developments in the second quarter of the 18th century. The French-builtMédée of 1740 is often regarded as the first example of this type. These ships weresquare-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 thewaterline of the new frigates. The typical earlier cruiser had a partially armed lower deck, from which it was known as a 'half-battery' ordemi-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 deckgunports, frigates were still able to fight with all their guns (see theaction of 13 January 1797, for an example when this was decisive).[7][8]
TheRoyal Navy captured a number of the new French frigates, includingMédée, during theWar 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 namedTygre, and started to adapt 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 thequarterdeck) 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 the quarterdeck and forecastle.[9] 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 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.[7]
HMS Trincomalee (1817) a restored British 18-pounder, 38-gun heavy frigate
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 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 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.[10][11]
Frigates could (and usually did) additionally carry smaller carriage-mounted guns on their quarterdecks andforecastles (the superstructures above the upper deck). In 1778 theCarron Iron Company of Scotland produced a naval gun which would revolutionise the armament of smaller naval vessels, including the frigate. Thecarronade 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 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 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.[12]
The first 'super-heavy frigates', armed with 24-pounder long guns, were built by the naval architectF H Chapman for the Swedish navy in 1782. Because of a shortage of ships-of-the-line, the Swedes wanted these frigates, theBellona class, to be able to stand in the battle line in an emergency. In the 1790s the French built a small number of large 24-pounder frigates, such asForte andEgyptienne, 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 (includingDiadème) to produce super-heavy frigates; the resulting ship was known as arasée. 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 the prospect of these powerful heavy frigates, responded by rasée-ing three of their smaller 64-gun battleships, includingIndefatigable, 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 wasHMS Endymion (1,277 tons).[13][14]
In 1797, three of theUnited States Navy'sfirst six major ships were rated as 44-gun frigates, which operationally carried fifty-six to sixty24-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 the line, and after a series of losses at the outbreak of theWar of 1812, secretAdmiralty 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 amuseum ship by the US Navy, is the oldest commissioned warship afloat, and is a surviving example of a frigate from theAge of Sail.Constitution and her sister shipsPresident andUnited States were created in a response to deal with the Barbary Coast pirates and in conjunction with theNaval Act of 1794.Joshua Humphreys proposed that onlylive oak, a tree that grew only in America, should be used to build these ships.[15]
The Admiralty, concerned by repeated defeats in single-ship actions, responded to the success of the American 44s in three ways. They built a class of conventional 40-gun, 24-pounder armed frigates on the lines ofEndymion. They cut down three old 74-gun Ships-of-the-Line intorasées, 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 andNewcastle, 1,500-ton spar-decked frigates (with an enclosed waist, giving 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.[16]
HMS Warrior, the first iron-hulled armoured steam frigate – the hull survived as an oil terminal dock and was restored to its original appearance in the late 20th century
Frigates were perhaps the hardest-worked of warship types during theAge of Sail. While smaller than aship-of-the-line, they were formidable opponents for the large numbers ofsloops andgunboats, not to mentionprivateers 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 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.[17] Frigates were involved in fleet battles, often as "repeating frigates". In the smoke and confusion of battle,signals made by the fleet commander, whoseflagship might be in the thick of the fighting, might be missed by the other ships of the fleet.[18] Frigates were therefore stationed to windward or leeward of the mainline 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 the line and clear from the smoke and disorder of battle, could be more easily seen by the other ships of the fleet.[18] 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.[18] For officers in the Royal Navy, a frigate was a desirable posting. Frigates often saw action, which meant a greater chance of glory, promotion, andprize money.
Unlike larger ships that were placedin 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 carrymarines for boarding enemy ships or for operations on shore; in 1832, the frigateUSS Potomac landed a party of 282 sailors and Marines ashore in the US Navy'sfirst Sumatran expedition. Frigates remained a crucial element of navies until the mid-19th century. The firstironclads 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 theprotected cruiser and then by thelight cruiser.
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 largepaddle steamers equipped with large guns mounted on one deck, which were termed "paddle frigates".
From the mid-1840s on, frigates which more closely resembled the traditional sailing frigate were built with steam engines and screwpropellers. These "screw frigates", built first of wood and later ofiron, 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 andship of the line designs. The additional weight of the armour on these firstironclad 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 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-hulledGloire, protected by 12 cm-thick (4.7 in) armour plates. The British response wasHMS Warrior of the Warrior-class ironclads, launched in 1860. With her iron hull, steam engines propelling 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" was readopted during theSecond World War by the BritishRoyal Navy to describe ananti-submarine escort vessel that was larger than acorvette (based on a mercantile design), while smaller than adestroyer. 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 the Americandestroyer escort, frigates are usually less expensive to build and maintain.[19] Small anti-submarine escorts designed for naval use from scratch had previously been classified assloops by the Royal Navy, and theBlack 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 the war, as were the remaining 24 smallerCastle-class corvettes.
The frigate was introduced to remedy some of the shortcomings inherent in theFlower-class corvette design: limited armament, a hull form not suited to open-ocean work, a singleshaft which limited speed and maneuverability, and a lack of range. The frigate was designed and built to the same mercantile construction standards (scantlings) as the corvette, allowing manufacture by yards unused to warship construction. The first frigates of theRiver class (1941) were essentially two sets of corvette machinery in one larger hull, armed with the latestHedgehog anti-submarine weapon.
The frigate possessed less offensive firepower and speed than adestroyer, including anescort destroyer, but such qualities were not required for anti-submarine warfare. Submarines were slow while submerged, andASDIC sets did not operate effectively at speeds of over 20knots (23 mph; 37 km/h). Rather, 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'sBay class of 1944 that a British design classified as a "frigate" was produced for fleet use, although it still suffered from limited speed. Theseanti-aircraft frigates, built on incompleteLoch-class frigate hulls, were similar to theUnited 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 theGeneral Board of the United States Navy in 1940, as modified by requirements established by a British commission in 1941[20] prior to the American entry into the war, for deep-water escorts. The American-built destroyer escorts serving in theBritishRoyal Navy were rated asCaptain-class frigates. The U.S. Navy's twoCanadian-builtAsheville-class and 96 British-influenced, American-builtTacoma-class frigates that followed originally were classified as "patrolgunboats" (PG) in the U.S. Navy but on 15 April 1943 were all reclassified aspatrol frigates (PF).
The introduction of thesurface-to-air missile after World War II made relatively small ships effective for anti-aircraft warfare: the "guided-missile frigate". In the USN, these vessels were called "ocean escorts" anddesignated "DE" or "DEG" until 1975 – a holdover from the World War IIdestroyer escort or "DE". While theRoyal Canadian Navy used similar designations for their warships built in the 1950s, the BritishRoyal Navy maintained the use of the term "frigate"; in the 1990s the RCN re-introduced the frigate designation. Likewise, the French Navy refers to missile-equipped ships, up to cruiser-sized ships (Suffren,Tourville, andHorizon classes), by the name of "frégate", while smaller units are namedaviso. The Soviet Navy used the term "guard-ship" (сторожевой корабль).
From the 1950s to the 1970s, theUnited States Navy commissioned ships classed as guided-missile frigates (hull classification symbol DLG or DLGN, literally meaning guided-missiledestroyer leaders), which were actually anti-aircraft warfarecruisers built ondestroyer-style hulls. These had one or two twin launchers per ship for theRIM-2 Terrier missile, upgraded to theRIM-67 Standard ER missile in the 1980s. This type of ship was intended primarily to defend aircraft carriers against anti-shipcruise 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 andTruxtun along with theCalifornia andVirginia classes – werenuclear-powered (DLGN).[21] 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 the1975 ship reclassification, the large American frigates were redesignated as guided-missile cruisers or destroyers (CG/CGN/DDG), whileocean escorts (the American classification for ships smaller than destroyers, with hull symbol DE/DEG (destroyer escort)) such as theKnox-class were reclassified as frigates (FF/FFG), sometimes called "fast frigates". In the late 1970s, as a gradual successor to theKnox frigates, the US Navy introduced the 51-shipOliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigates (FFG), the last of which was decommissioned in 2015, although some serve in other navies.[22] By 1995 the older guided-missile cruisers and destroyers were replaced by theTiconderoga-class cruisers andArleigh Burke-class destroyers.[23]
One of the most successful post-1945 designs was the BritishLeander-class frigate, which was used by several navies. Laid down in 1959, theLeander class was based on the previousType 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. TheLeander 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., theEurosamAster 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 consideredblue water vessels, whilecorvettes (even the largest ones capable of carrying ananti-submarine warfare helicopter) are typically deployed in coastal orlittoral zones so are regarded asbrown-water orgreen-water vessels.[24] According to Dr. Sidharth Kaushal of 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 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 theTiconderoga-class cruisers, due to their extra armament and facilities to serve as fleet flagships.[25]
The Royal NavyType 61 (Salisbury class) were"air direction" frigates equipped to track aircraft. To this end they had reduced armament compared to theType 41 (Leopard-class) air-defence frigates built on the same hull. Multi-role frigates like theMEKO 200,Anzac andHalifax 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 deployingdestroyers.[citation needed]
At the opposite end of the spectrum, some frigates are specialised foranti-submarine warfare. Increasing submarine speeds towards the end of World War II (seeGerman 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 theWhitby class, were faster.
Such ships carry improvedsonar equipment, such as thevariable depth sonar ortowed array, and specialised weapons such astorpedoes, forward-throwing weapons such asLimbo and missile-carried anti-submarine torpedoes such asASROC orIkara. The Royal Navy's originalType 22 frigate is an example of a specialised anti-submarine warfare frigate, though it also hasSea Wolf surface-to-air missiles for point defense plusExocet surface-to-surface missiles for limited offensive capability.
Especially for anti-submarine warfare, most modern frigates have alanding deck andhangar aft to operatehelicopters, 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 the helicopter is equipped with sensors such assonobuoys, wire-mounted dipping sonar andmagnetic anomaly detectors to identify possible threats, and torpedoes ordepth-charges to attack them.
With their onboard radar helicopters can also be used to reconnoitre over-the-horizon targets and, if equipped withanti-ship missiles such asPenguin orSea Skua, to attack them. The helicopter is also invaluable forsearch and rescue operation and has largely replaced the use ofsmall boats or thejackstay 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.
Some new classes of ships similar tocorvettes are optimized for high-speed deployment and combat with small craft rather than combat between equal opponents; an example is the U.S.littoral combat ship (LCS). As of 2015, allOliver 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 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 (technicallyUSS Constitution is rated as a frigate and is still in commission, but does not count towards Navy force levels).[28] 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 toFF as well.[29] However, theUnited States Navy selected aFREMM multipurpose frigate variant for a newConstellation class of 20 frigates, to be built by Fincantieri beginning in 2024.[30]
The modernFrench 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 theHorizon class being among the largest in the world to carry the rating of frigate. TheFrégates 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 commissioningplanned from 2023 onwards.[32]
In theGerman Navy, frigates were used to replace aging destroyers; however in size and role the new German frigates exceed the former class of destroyers. The current German F125Baden-Württemberg-class frigates are the largest class of frigates worldwide with a displacement of more than 7,200 tons (however the futureF126 frigates will be over 10,000 tons, and may be considereddestroyers). The same was done in theSpanish Navy, which went ahead with the deployment of the firstAegis frigates, theÁlvaro de Bazán-class frigates. TheMyanmar Navy is producing modern frigates with a reducedradar cross section known as theKyan Sittha-class frigate. Before the Kyan Sittha class, the Myanmar Navy also produced anAung 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 thevertical missile launch systems.[33] The four plannedTamandaré-class frigates of theBrazilian 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.[34][35]
KDRahmat was on display inLumut, Malaysia from 2011 to 2017. She sank at her moorings due to poor condition, and was later scrapped.
RFSDruzhnyy was on display inMoscow, Russia from 2002 to 2016, until the museum plans fell through and was sold for scrap.
HMS Plymouth (F126) was on display inBirkenhead, England from 1990 to 2006, when the museum that operated her was forced to close. She was later scrapped in 2012.
CNSNanchong (FF-502) was on display inQingdao,China from 1988 to 2012, when her faulty material made preservation difficult and was later scrapped.
Ethiopian Navy lost its entire fleet, including twoPetya-class frigates and the training frigateEthiopia, following the independence of Eritrea in 1991.
Republic of China Navy is planning to build 10–15 new frigates to replace the agingKnox class andCheng Kung class.[39]
Finnish Navy is planning to build fourPohjanmaa-class corvettes. These vessels, despite their classification, have been described as frigates by the Finnish defense ministry and lead to a debate over the classification in the Finnish Parliament.
Indian Navy is building a total of six frigates, comprising fourNilgiri-class frigates (with three already in service) and twoTalwar-class frigate (with eight already in service). Another 7-8 ships ofProject 17B are planned.
Royal Malaysian Navy is currently building fiveMaharaja Lela-class frigates and originaly planning for six ships for the class but cut it down to five ships in early 2023 due to financial reasons
Ukrainian Navy was building oneVolodymyr Velykyi-class frigate. Construction began in 2011, then suffered delays and was completely stopped in 2014. The Black Sea Shipyard responsible for the program went bankrupt in 2021, the ship was only 17% complete.[45] It was hoped that this class would help rebuild the Ukrainian Navy, which has been depleted since the capture of most of its fleet following the 2014 Russian Annexation of Crimea. The United States has offered to transfer twoOliver Hazard Perry-class frigates to Ukraine.
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^abBreen, Colin; Forsythe, Wes (2007). "The French Shipwreck La Surveillante, Lost in Bantry Bay, Ireland, in 1797".Historical Archaeology.41 (3):41–42.doi:10.1007/BF03377053.JSTOR25617454.S2CID162814509.
^USS Constitution launched in 1797HMS Victory is the oldest commissioned (put on active duty) vessel since 1778 by 21 years, but she has been in dry dock since 1922.[citation needed]
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