Makkah (814) is an Al Riyadh-class frigate of the Royal Saudi Navy and was built in France.

Development and design

The frigate Makkah, is an expanded anti-air version of the French La Fayette class, displacing about 4,700 t (5,181 short tons) and extended to 133 m (436 ft 4 in) in length.[3]

The ships' combat system, produced by Armaris (a Direction des Constructions Navales/Thales Group joint venture), is armed with Aster 15 surface-to-air missiles (SAM) launched from SYLVER vertical launchers (SYLVER - SYstème de Lancement VERtical). As with the La Fayette class, the primary offensive weapon is the anti-surface Exocet missile. The ships' main gun is the OTO Melara 76 mm super-rapid firing gun replacing the modèle 100 TR automatic gun of the La Fayette. There are also four aft-mounted 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, firing DTCN F17 heavyweight anti-submarine torpedoes. Makkah is capable of a maximum speed of ~46 kilometres per hour (29 mph; 25 kn) with a maximum range of 13,000 kilometres (8,078 mi; 7,019 nmi).[3][4]

Construction and career

Makkah was launched on 20 July 2001 at the DCNS dockyard in Lorient and commissioned on 3 April 2004.

Al Riyadh-class frigates

Three Al Riyadh-class frigates have been built:

Al Riyadh (812)
the lead ship commissioned in 2002
Makkah (814)
commissioned in 2004
Al Dammam (816)
commissioned in 2004

References

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