HNLMS Kortenaer (F807)

(Redirected from HNLMS Kortenaer (1976))

HNLMS Kortenaer (F807) (Dutch: Hr.Ms. Kortenaer) was a frigate of the Kortenaer class. The ship was in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy from 1978 to 1997 and today serves as HS Kountouriotis with the Hellenic Navy . The frigate was initially named after Dutch naval hero Egbert Bartholomeusz Kortenaer and then after Pavlos Kountouriotis, distinguished Admiral of the Hellenic Navy, responsible for Greek naval victories in the Aegean Sea that secured the Aegean for Greece during the First Balkan War. The ship's radio call sign was "PADA".[1][unreliable source?]

Kortenaer at sea
History
Netherlands
NameKortenaer
NamesakeEgbert Bartholomeusz Kortenaer
BuilderKM de Schelde, Vlissingen
Laid down8 April 1975
Launched18 December 1976
Commissioned26 October 1978
Decommissioned1997
FateSold to the Hellenic Navy
Greece
NameKountouriotis
NamesakePavlos Kountouriotis
Commissioned15 December 1997
IdentificationF462
Statusactive service
General characteristics
Class and typeKortenaer-class frigate
Displacement
  • 3,500 long tons (3,600 t) standard
  • 3,800 long tons (3,900 t) full load
Length130 m (426 ft 6 in)
Beam14.4 m (47 ft 3 in)
Draft4.4 m (14 ft 5 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) cruise
  • 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) maximum
Endurance4,700 nautical miles at 16 knots (8,700 km at 30 km/h)
Complement176–196
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × Sea Lynx helicopters (1 in peacetime)

Design and construction

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In the early 1970s the Royal Netherlands Navy developed a 'Standard' frigate design to replace the destroyers of the Holland and Friesland classes. The 'Standard' design would have anti-submarine (the Kortenaer class) and anti-aircraft (the Jacob van Heemskerck-class) variants with different armaments on a common hull design. The first eight Kortenaers were ordered in 1974, with four more ordered in 1976, although two were sold to Greece while being built, and replaced by two of the anti-aircraft variant.[2]

Kortenaer was 130.2 metres (427 ft 2 in) long overall and 121.8 metres (400 ft) between perpendiculars, with a beam) of 14.4 metres (47 ft 3 in) and a draft of 4.4 metres (14 ft 5 in).[2][3] Displacement was 3,000 long tons (3,050 t) standard and 3,785 long tons (3,846 t) full load.[2] The ship was powered by two 25,800 shaft horsepower (19,200 kW) Rolls-Royce Olympus TM 3B and two 4,900 shaft horsepower (3,700 kW) Rolls-Royce Tyne TM 1C gas turbines in a combined gas or gas (COGOG) arrangement, driving two propeller shafts. The Olympus engines gave a speed of 30 knots (35 mph; 56 km/h) and the Tyne cruise engines gave a speed of 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h).[2]

Kortenaer's main anti-aircraft armament was an 8-round NATO Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile launcher in front of the bridge. An OTO Melara 76 mm was fitted forward of the Sea Sparrow launcher, while a Goalkeeper CIWS was planned to be fitted aft, on the roof of the ship's hangar. Goalkeeper was not available when the ships were built, however, and Kortenaer was completed with a second Oto Melara 76 mm gun in its place. Eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles could be carried in two quadruple launchers, although two or four Harpoons was a more normal peacetime load-out. A hangar and fight deck were fitted to accommodate two Westland Lynx helicopters, although only one was normally carried. Close-in anti submarine armament was provided by four 324 mm tubes for US Mark 46 torpedoes.[2] A Signaal LW-08 long-range air search radar was fitted, together with a ZW-06 surface-search radar, with WM-25 and STIR-180 fire control radars to direct the ship's armament. A Canadian SQS-505 hull-mounted sonar was fitted.[2][4]

Kortenaer's aft Oto Melara 76 mm gun was replaced by a Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft gun in 1982, and this, in turn, was replaced by the intended Goalkeeper by 1995.[2] On transfer to Greece, the Goalkeeper was removed. Greece replaced it by an American Phalanx CIWS, while Agusta-Bell AB 212 helicopters replaced the Lynxes.[5]

HNLMS Kortenaer, the name-ship of her class was laid down at the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde (KM de Schelde) shipyard in Vlissingen on 8 April 1975. She was launched on 18 December 1976 and commissioned into service on 26 October 1978.[2][3]

Dutch service history

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On 12 March 1979 she and the frigate Tromp and the destroyer Drenthe and the replenishment ship Poolster departed for a trip to the Far East to show the flag.[6]

In 1988 Kortenaer and the frigates Jan van Brakel and Witte de With and the replenishment ship Zuiderkruis made a trip to the far east and Australia to show the flag and for practice.[7]

In June 1994 the ship participated in the BALTOPS 94 naval exercise with vessels from several other navies.[1]

On 15 February 1996 Kortenaer was decommissioned and in June 1997 she was sold to the Hellenic Navy.[8]

Greek service history

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The ship was put into service on 15 December 1997 where the ship was renamed Kountouriotis (Κουντουριώτης) and the pennant number F 462,[5] using the radio call sign was "SZCT".[9][unreliable source?] In September 2017 the ship was assigned to NATO SNMG2.[9][unreliable source?]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b "helis.com". Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Gardiner & Chumbley 1995, p. 277
  3. ^ a b Moore 1979, p. 356
  4. ^ Friedman 1997, pp. 315–317, 578
  5. ^ a b Saunders 2002, p. 278
  6. ^ "scheepvaartmuseum.nl :: Maritieme kalender 1979". Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  7. ^ "scheepvaartmuseum.nl :: Maritieme kalender 1988". Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  8. ^ Baker 1998, pp. 294–295, 533
  9. ^ a b "helis.com". Retrieved 9 September 2018.

References

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  • Baker, A. D., ed. (1998). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-111-0.
  • Friedman, Norman (1997). The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems 1997–1998. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-268-1.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen, eds. (1995). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-132-5.
  • Moore, John, ed. (1979). Jane's Fighting Ships 1979–80. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 978-0-354-00587-6.
  • Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2002). Jane's Fighting Ships 2002–2003. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2432-1.