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
- ^ "Al Riyadh (F3000S Sawari II) Class - Naval Technology".
- ^ "Al Riyadh (F3000S Sawari II) Class - Naval Technology".
- ^ a b "Al Riyadh (F3000S Sawari II) Class, Saudi Arabia". www.naval-technology.com. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ^ "Al Riyadh (F3000S Sawari II) Class - Naval Technology". www.naval-technology.com. Retrieved 2020-11-29.