Roussen-class fast attack craft
 HS Roussen, P-67 in Piraeus during Saint Nicholas festival of 2009. | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Roussen, Super Vita |
| Builders: | |
| Operators: |
 Hellenic Navy |
| Preceded by: | La Combattante IIIb |
| In commission: | 2005 - present day |
| Building: | 2 |
| Planned: | 7 |
| Completed: | 5 |
| Active: |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | FACM |
| Displacement: | 580 tons / 668 tons fully loaded |
| Length: | 62 m |
| Beam: | 9.5 m |
| Draught: | 2.6 m |
| Propulsion: | 4 × MTU 16V595 TE90 diesel engines 23,500 hp |
| Speed: | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Complement: | 45 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | |
| Electronic warfare & decoys: | |
| Armament: |
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The Roussen class is a seven-strong class of British-design fast attack missile boats improved and customized for the Hellenic Navy, also known as Super Vita. The class is named after its lead ship, which in turn is named after Lt Nikolaos Roussen, a World War II submarines officer who was killed in the suppression of the Navy mutiny in April 1944.
History
The modernization program of the Hellenic Navy in the late '90s included the construction of three modern missile boats and was signed on January, 2000. The construction took place at the Elefsis Shipyards, while Vosper Thornycroft (now BAE Systems Surface Ships) provide the necessary design, logistical support and equipment for the ships. On August, 2003 and September, 2008 options that provided the acquisition of four more vessels were activated with the last ship to be commissioned in 2013.
Design
The plans of the Roussen Class missile boats are based on smaller Vita class boats serving in the navies of Qatar, as well as similar size vessels built for Oman and other countries. The hull is made of steel and the superstructure is made of aluminum, while the company Vosper Thornycroft (now BAE Systems Surface Ships) provides the electricity transmission system, the management board, electrical equipment and systems countermeasures.
Weapons and electronics
The main armament of the ships are eight Exocet MM40 Block II/III anti-ship missiles with a range of up to 180 km. They are complemented by an Otobreda 76 mm naval gun in the bow and two smaller 30mm cannons as secondary weapons located on the ships' superstructure. The vessel's primary anti-air and anti-missile weapon is the RIM-116 RAM missile system which comprises an onboard Mk-49 launcher with 21 projectiles, as well as the DR3000 and AR900 electronic support measures systems and the SRBOC decoy launcher.
The sensor suite responsible for the timely identification and homing of surface and air targets includes the MW08 3D G-band surveillance radar, the Mirador electro-optical target tracker and the Scout MkII low probability of intercept radar which is being controlled by the TACTICOS combat management system.
Ships
| Ship | Namesake | Builder | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P67 Roussen Ρουσσέν | Lt Nikolaos Roussen | Elefsis Shipyards | November 12, 2002 | In service 2008 |
| P68 Daniolos Δανίολος | Lt Antonios Daniolos | Elefsis Shipyards | July 8, 2003 | In service 2008 |
| P69 Krystallidis Κρυσταλλίδης | Lt Vyron Krystallidis | Elefsis Shipyards | April 5, 2004 | In service 2008 |
| P70 Grigoropoulos Γρηγορόπουλος | Lt Michail Grigoropoulos | Elefsis Shipyards | December 20, 2005 | In service 2010 |
| P71 Ritsos Ρίτσος | Lt Nikolaos Ritsos | Elefsis Shipyards | October 9, 2006 | In service 2015 |
| P72 Karathanasis Καραθανάσης | Elefsis Shipyards | TBD | Under construction | |
| P73 Vlachakos Βλαχάκος | Elefsis Shipyards | TBD | Under construction |
Similar ships
- Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat
- Houbei class missile boat
- Skjold class patrol boat
- Hamina class missile boat
Sources
- "Roussen Class (62m Super Vita) Fast Attack Missile Craft, Greece". Naval-Technology.com. SPG Media Limited. Retrieved January 29, 2009.
- Wertheim, Eric (2007). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems. Naval Institute Press. p. 267.
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