Barbaros-class frigate

The Barbaros-class frigates[2] are among the most modern frigates in the Turkish Navy. They were designed in Germany and are part of the MEKO group of modular warships, in this case the MEKO 200 design. Two ships were built in Germany and two in Turkey with German assistance. They are larger than the previous Yavuz-class frigates and are also faster due to using CODOG machinery rather than pure diesels.

Class overview
Name: Barbaros, MEKO 200 TN-II
Builders:
Operators:  Turkish Naval Forces
Preceded by: Yavuz class
Subclasses: Salih Reis class
In commission: 1997 - present
Completed: 4
Active: 4
General characteristics
Type: Frigate
Displacement:
  • 3,100 tons standard
  • 3,350 tons full load
Length:
  • 116.7 metres (383 ft) (F244, F245)
  • 118.0 metres (387.1 ft) (F246, F247)
Beam: 14.8 metres (49 ft)
Draught: 4.25 metres (13.9 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) on gas turbine
  • 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) on diesel only
Range: 4,100 nautical miles (7,600 km; 4,700 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement: 24 officers, 156 enlisted men
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Radar
  • Decca 2040 BT
  • AWS-9
  • HSA D08
  • HSA STIR -24, HSA STIR 18
  • Sonar
  • SQS-56
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 Racal Cutlass, Racal Scorpion, Mk 36 decoy
Armament:
  • 2 × Mk 141 quad-pack Launcher for 8 × RGM-84 Harpoon
  • 1 × Mk 41 Mod 8 VLS[1] for 16 × RIM-162 ESSM Sea Sparrow PDMS (SAM)
  • 1 × 5 inch /54 gun
  • 3 × Oerlikon Contraves Sea Zenith 25mm CIWS gun systems
  • 2 × Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tube sets
Aircraft carried: 1 × S-70B Seahawk or AB 212 ASW helicopters
Aviation facilities: Hangar and platform

The first two vessels (F-244 and F-245) are defined as the Barbaros class (MEKO 200 TN Track II-A) while the last two vessels (F-246 and F-247) are defined as the Salih Reis class (MEKO 200 TN Track II-B) by the Turkish Navy. The two vessels of the Salih Reis class were fitted with the Mk.41 VLS, while the Sea Sparrow launchers on the older Barbaros-class vessels are currently being replaced with Mk.41 VLS, which is capable of launching Evolved Sea Sparrow (ESSM) missiles.[1]

Modernization projects

On 3 April 2018 a contract was signed between ASELSAN - HAVELSAN Joint Venture and the secretariat for Defense Industry (SSM) regarding the Barbaros Class Frigate mid-life modernization project[3][4]. Two of the frigates of the class have already received two 8-cell Mk41 vertical launcher system (VLS) modules, which replaced the obsolete MK29 Sea Sparrow launchers. Additionally the old AWS-9 3D air search radars has been replaced by modern Thales SMART-S Mk2 3D radars[5][6].

Ships of the class
Ship[7] Namesake Builder Launched Commissioned Status
TCG Barbaros (F-244) Hayreddin Barbarossa Blohm & Voss, Hamburg 29 September 1993 23 May 1997 In service
TCG Oruçreis (F-245) Oruç Reis Gölcük Naval Shipyard, Kocaeli 28 July 1994 23 May 1997 In service
TCG Salihreis (F-246) Salih Reis Blohm & Voss, Hamburg 26 September 1997 22 July 1998 In service
TCG Kemalreis (F-247) Kemal Reis Gölcük Naval Shipyard, Kocaeli 22 July 1998 8 June 2000 In service

References
  1. Barbaros Class Frigate Archived 2009-08-07 at the Wayback Machine, SSM Product Catalogue
  2. Barbaros Class frigates, Turkish Navy official website
  3. Modernization of the Barbaros Class Frigates, MSI Turkish Defense Review (in Turkish)
  4. Mid-Life Modernisation For Barbaros Class Frigates, article in the website turkishnavy.net
  5. Video of the visit of F246 Salihreis to the port of Odessa (Ukraine), on 30 March 2018. The new SMART-S Mk2 Radar is installed.
  6. Article about the modernization projects of the Turkish Navy, navalanalyses.com, 16/09/2017
  7. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995
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