Greek frigate Limnos

Limnos (F451) is an Elli-class frigate of the Hellenic Navy, and the third Greek warship to bear the name. The class is based on the Royal Netherlands Navy's Kortenaer class and was built in a Dutch shipyard; however, unlike later members of her class in the Hellenic Navy, she was not originally in Dutch service, but was sold directly to Greece. Limnos was constructed in Vlissingen, Netherlands, along with her sister ship Elli. The contract for her construction was signed in Athens in July 1981 and her commissioning took place on 18 September 1982. After commissioning, Limnos joined the Hellenic Fleet on 5 November 1982 and since then she has actively participated in its activities.[1]

For other ships with the same name, see Greek ship Lemnos.
History
Greece
Name: Limnos
Namesake: Lemnos island and the Battle of Lemnos (1913)
Laid down: 13 June 1978
Launched: 27 October 1979
Commissioned: 18 September 1982
Status: in service
Notes: Official Hellenic Navy page
General characteristics
Class and type: Elli-class frigate
Displacement: 3,500 tons (3,800 t max)
Length: 130 m (430 ft)
Beam: 14.6 m (48 ft)
Draft: 65 m (213 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 30-knot (56 km/h) maximum
  • 20-knot (37 km/h) cruise
Complement: 196
Crew: 176-196
Armament:
  • 2 × OTO Melara 76 mm/62 cal.,
  • 2 × Mk15 Phalanx 20 mm CIWS,
  • 2 Mk141 4 × 8 Harpoon missile launchers,
  • Mk29 octuple launcher for 24 × RIM-7M SAMs,
  • 2 Mk32 2 × 324mm T/T for Mk46 torpedoes
Aircraft carried: 2 AB 212 ASW helicopter or 1 Sikorsky S-70B-6 Aegean Hawk

Operations

The Limnos took part in several operations including Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield in 1990 and 1991. She was part of the security arrangements for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens as part of Operation Ifitos, and with Operation Ocean Shield, the NATO contribution to the anti-piracy initiative, in 2009.[1] In 2011 she deployed with Operation Unified Protector, the NATO operation to enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding the Libyan Civil War, and with Operation Active Endeavour, an anti-terrorism mission in the Mediterranean.[1]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of the ship is a copy of the battleship Lemnos's coat of arms. It depicts the lyra of the ancient poet and kitharode Arion and dolphins in waves.[1]

August 2020 collision with TCG Kemal Reis

On August 13, 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that any attack on the Turkish research vessel Oruç Reis will incur a “high price” and suggested that Turkey had already acted on that warning. This came after unconfirmed reports that the Limnos collided with the frigate Kemal Reis, one of the ships of the Turkish Navy that were escorting the Oruç Reis, which resumed drilling operations southeast of the Greek island of Kastellorizo on August 10, after suspending its work in July.[2][3][4][5]

On the following day, the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence released a date stamped photograph of HS Limnos conducting joint drills with four other Greek frigates and two units of the French Navy in that same area.[6] According to unnamed "Greek defense sources", the Greek frigate "manoeuvred to avoid a head-on collision and in the process its bow touched the rear of the Turkish frigate"[7] Initially, the Turkish frigate's fate remained unconfirmed, despite reports that mentioned it was deemed unoperational due to propeller damage, requiring return to port for repairs. Later on the same day and in response however, the Turkish Ministry of Defense released a video of the ship in social media, declaring that TCG Kemalreis was also fully operational and its condition was unchanged, normally continuing its original mission. As a response to the Turkish President's statements, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, announcing that the Greek Foreign Minister would brief in detail his European counterparts on the operational and technical details of that incident.

References
  1. "HS Limnos". hellenicnavy.gr. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  2. "Erdogan says Greece attacked Oruc Reis, 'got their first answer today'". Kathimerini. August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  3. "Turkey's Erdogan threatens Greece over energy dispute in Mediterranean". DW News. August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  4. "Erdogan says attack on Turkish ship in Mediterranean dispute will exact 'high price'". NBC News. August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  5. "Tensions in the Aegean: Greek frigate rams and damages Turkish war ship". Greek City Times. August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  6. "Joint Naval Exercise of Greece – France". Hellenic National Defence General Staff.
  7. "Greek and Turkish warships in 'mini collision,' says defense source". Kathimerini. 14 August 2020.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.