Baptista de Andrade-class corvette

The Baptista de Andrade class are a class of four Portuguese-designed corvettes, built for the Portuguese Navy by BAZAN in Francoist Spain in the 1970s. They are an updated version of the João Coutinho class - designed by the Portuguese naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira - with more modern armament and sensors.

NRP Baptista de Andrade (F 486), 1998
Class overview
NameBaptista de Andrade
BuildersBazan, Ferrol, Spain
Operators Portuguese Navy
Preceded byJoão Coutinho class
Succeeded byViana do Castelo-class patrol vessel
Built1972–1976
In commission1974–present
Completed4
Active1
Retired3
General characteristics
TypeCorvette
Displacement1,203 tons standard, 1,380 tons full load
Length84.6 m (277 ft 7 in)
Beam10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
Draught3.1 m (10 ft 2 in)
Propulsion2 shaft, 2 OEW Pielstick diesel engines, 10,560 hp (7,870 kW)
Speed23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)
Range5,900 nmi (10,900 km; 6,800 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement113
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Former:
    • Radar: AWS-2 air search(Removed later), TM-626 navigation, Pollux fire control
    • Sonar: Diodon
  • Current:[when?]
    • Radar: Kelvin Hughes KH5000, Racal Decca RM316P
Armament
  • 1 × 100 mm (4 in) gun
  • 2 × single 40 mm/L70 Bofors guns
  • 2 × triple 12.75-inch (324 mm) ASW torpedo tubes
Aviation facilities1 helicopter pad for 1 x Super Lynx Mk.95

Like the João Coutinho ships, the Baptista de Andrade corvettes were intended to operate in the Portuguese overseas territories. Allegedly, the ships would originally be intended to the South African Navy, the delivery being canceled after the Portuguese Carnation Revolution in 1974. After Portugal withdrew from its colonies, the four ships were due to be sold to the Colombian Navy in 1977 but the deal was not completed.

One ship, NRP Oliveira e Carmo, was decommissioned in 1999 and was officially scrapped on 1 November 2007 and later sunk as an artificial reef on 30 October 2012.[1] NRP Afonso Cerqueira was decommissioned on 13 February 2015 and later sunk as an artificial reef off Madeira.[2] Another ship was decommissioned in 2017 and the last one remains in limited service but will be retired and replaced by Viana do Castelo-class patrol vessels.

Ships

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Pennant number Name Launched Commissioned Status
F486 Baptista de Andrade March 1973 November 1974 Decommissioned 2017. Sank at moorings between 19 and 23 April 2023. Awaiting scrapping.[3]
F487 João Roby June 1973 March 1975 In active service[4]
F488 Afonso Cerqueira October 1973 June 1975 Decommissioned 2015, sunk as artificial reef in September 2018 in sea of Madeira
F489 Oliveira e Carmo February 1974 February 1976 Decommissioned 1999, scrapped 2007, sunk as artificial reef 2012 in Lagos, Portugal

Citations

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  1. ^ "Sinking Oliveira e Carmo Corvette". Ocean Revival. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Marinha já alienou futuro recife artificial do Cabo Girão". Madeira In and Out. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Marinha afundou três navios no último ano e meio". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). 8 September 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  4. ^ "NRP João Roby". Marinha (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 15 October 2022.

References

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  • Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995