.jpg) Victoria on 12 January 2004 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Spain | |
| Name | Victoria |
| Namesake | Victoria |
| Builder | Bazan |
| Laid down | 16 August 1983 |
| Launched | 23 July 1986 |
| Commissioned | 11 November 1987 |
| Home port | Rota |
| Identification | Pennant number: F82 |
| Status | in active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Santa Maria-classfrigate |
| Displacement | 3,160 t (3,110 long tons) standard |
| Length | 138.8 m (455 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 14.3 m (46 ft 11 in) |
| Draught | 6.6 m (21 ft 8 in) max |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph) |
| Complement | 223 |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys | Nettunel (F-85 & F-86: Mk-3000) intercept,SLQ-25 Nixie, Mk36 SROC decoy launchers |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 2 ×Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters |
Victoria (F82) is the second of the six Spanish-builtSanta Maria-classfrigates of theSpanish Navy, based on the AmericanOliver Hazard Perry class design. Constructed in 1983, the vessel waslaunched on 23 July 1986 andcommissioned on 11 November 1987. The frigate has been assigned toOperation Atalanta, fightingpiracy of the Somalian coast.
TheSanta María class are a series of sixguided missile frigates based on the AmericanOliver Hazard Perry class.[1] TheOliver Hazard Perry class had been conceived as a way to reduce unit costs while maintaining ananti-air warfare (AAW) platform withanti-submarine (ASW) andanti-surface warfare capabilities.[2] TheOliver Hazard Perry class came in two forms, the short-hulled and long-hulled, with theSanta María class being of the later with additionalbeam to allow for more top weight for future modifications.[3] The class came in two batches, with the first four being of batch one and the final two of the second. The first batch of ships have adisplacement of 2,851tonnes (2,806long tons) light, 3,160 t (3,110 long tons) standard and 4,017 t (3,954 long tons) at full load. The second batch have the same light and standard displacements, with a full load displacement of 4,107 t (4,042 long tons). The frigates measure 138.8 metres (455 ft 5 in)long overall and 125.9 m (413 ft 1 in) at thewaterline with a beam of 14.3 m (46 ft 11 in) and a standarddraught of 4.52 m (14 ft 10 in) and a maximum draught at thesonar dome of 6.6 m (21 ft 8 in).[4] The ships have a complement of 223 sailors including 13 officers.[1]
TheSanta María class is propelled by acontrollable pitch propller powered by twoGeneral Electric LM2500gas turbines creating 41,000shaft horsepower (31,000 kW), giving the vessels a maximum speed of 29knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). The frigates stow 587 t (578 long tons; 647 short tons) of fuel and have a range of 5,000nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)[4] or 4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).[1] The ships have four 1,000 kW Kato-Allison 114-DOOL diesel generator sets creating a total of 4,000 kW. These can power two 260 kW (350 shp) retractable, rotatable auxiliary propulsion motors.[4] The vessels havefin stabilisers fitted.[1]
Frigates of theSanta María class are armed with a single-armedMk 13 missile launcher serviced by a 40-roundmagazine that can handle 32SM-1MRanti-air/ship missiles and 8Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The Harpoon missiles have a range of 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) atMach 0.9 carrying a 227-kilogram (500 lb) warhead. The SM-1R missiles have a range of 20.5 nmi (38.0 km; 23.6 mi) at Mach 2. The vessels also mount a singleOTO Melara 76-millimetre (3.0 in)/62 calibre naval gun capable of firing 85 rounds per minute up to 8.7 nmi (16.1 km; 10.0 mi) with each shell carrying a 6 kg (13 lb) warhead.[1][a] For AAW defence, the ships mount a singleMeroka 20 mm (0.79 in)/120 12-barrelledclose-in weapons system (CIWS) capable of firing 3,600 rounds per minute up to 2 km (1.2 mi). For ASW, the frigates are armed with two triple-mountedMark 32torpedo tubes for Mod 5Mark 46 torpedoes.[1]
The vessels are equipped withAN/SPS-49(V)4 2-D air searchradar, RAN-12L (being replaced by RAN-30) 2-D low horizon air search radar for the Meroka CIWS, SPS-55 surface search radar and a Mk 92 fire-control radar. For ASW, the ships haveSQS-56sonar, SQR-19(V) towed array. For weapons fire control, they have Mk 13weapons control, Mk 92 and SPG-60 STIR missile control, SQQ-89 ASW systems. Forelectronic warfare they have Nettunel intercept, aSLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy, and Mk36 SROC decoy launchers.[4]
As long-hulled versions of theOliver Hazard Perry class, theSanta María-class frigates have twinhangars to accommodate up to twoSikorsky SH-60B SeahawkLight Airborne Multi-Purpose System (LAMPS) III helicopters though only one is usually embarked. Thehelicopter deck, located aft, is equipped with the RAST helicopter deck-handling system designed to handle LAMPS helicopters.[4]
Victoria was ordered on 29 June 1977. The ship waslaid down on 16 August 1983 atIzar's shipyard inFerrol, Spain.[1] Delays in construction followed as the Spanish Navy deferred the frigate's construction in order to focus on the construction of a newaircraft carrier.[5] The frigate waslaunched on 23 July 1986 andcommissioned into service on 11 November 1987.[1] The vessel is homeported atRota, Spain as part of the 41st Escort Squadron.[4]
On 29 March 2009, as she was taking part inOperation Atalanta, the German Navy tankerSpessart was attacked by a seven-man pirate boat.[6][7] In addition to the regular 40-man civilian crew,Spessart carried a 12-man security detail which exchanged small arms fire with the pirates, and repelled the assault.[8] The SH-60B helicopter aboardVictoria intercepted the fleeing pirateskiff, opened fire, and kept guard over the surrendering pirates until relieved by naval units. Fellow warshipsHNLMS De Zeven Provinciën,Psara andUSS Boxer were also involved in this chase.
On 2 June 2010,Victoria provided medical assistance to the crew of the Libyan vessel MVRim, and prevented recapture of that ship by Somali pirates, after the crew ofRim overpowered the pirates who had hijacked the ship four months earlier.Rim had been anchored in the harbour of Garacad, Somalia, since her 3 February 2010 taking in theGulf of Aden. On 3 August 2010, a helicopter fromVictoria stopped a pirate attack on the Norwegian chemical tanker MVBow Saga, which had sent a distress call that it was under attack by a pirate skiff. The seven pirates on board the skiff were later captured by a second team from the European Union naval force in the region.[9] On 3 August 2010, the Norwegian chemical tanker MVBow Saga was proceeding through the transit corridor in the middle of the Gulf of Aden when it came under attack. A pirate skiff with 7 people on board shot at the bridge, damaging the windows. EU NAVFOR heard her distress call and ordered the closest warship,Victoria react to the incident.Victoria already had her helicopter in the air and was able to intervene only ten minutes after the call. The pirates stopped the attack and tried to flee. After warning shots, first from the helicopter and then from the warshipVictoria, the pirates eventually stopped. The skiff was searched by a boarding team fromVictoria and weapons were subsequently found.[10]
In November 2022, the Spanish Navy announced thatVictoria was to be modified to include a second boat deck to allow for the use ofrigid-hulled inflatable boats.[11]
