ARA Espora (P-41) frigate (classified by the Argentine Navy as "corvette") |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | AFNE "Río Santiago" |
| Operators: | Argentine Navy |
| Subclasses: | Espora |
| In commission: | 1985 |
| Completed: | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Multi-purpose frigate |
| Displacement: | 1,790 tons |
| Length: | 91.2 m |
| Beam: | 11.1 m |
| Draught: | 4.5 m |
| Propulsion: | 2 Diesel engines 20,400 shp (15,200 kW) 2 shafts/propellers |
| Speed: | 27 knots (50 km/h) |
| Range: | 4,000 nautical miles (7,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Complement: | 100 |
| Armament: | 4 x Exocet anti-ship missiles 1 x 76 mm dual purpose gun 4 x 40 mm anti-aircraft guns 2 x .50cal machine guns 6 x 324 mm torpedo tubes |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 helicopter |
The Espora class (MEKO 140A16 type) corvettes were all commissioned between 1985 and 2004 for the Argentine Navy, the first four (P-41 to P-44) in 1985-1990 and the last two (P-45/46) in 2001-2004.
The ships were designed by the German shipyard Blohm + Voss as a development of the Portuguese Navy João Coutinho class, begun by the Portuguese naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira in the late 1960s. All the ships of the class were built in Argentina at the AFNE "Río Santiago" shipyard, close to the city of La Plata in Buenos Aires Province. The contract was signed on 1 August 1979.
Although considered by its designers to be frigates, the Espora class vessels have been classed in Argentina as corvettes.
The ships currently serve in the High Seas Fleet ("Flota de Mar") of the Argentine Navy, based in Puerto Belgrano Naval Base, close to the city of Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
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