Hydra-class frigate

F454 HS Psara
Class overview
Name:	Hydra, MEKO 200 HN
Builders:	Blohm + Voss , Hellenic Shipyards
Operators:	Hellenic Navy
In commission:	1992 - present day
Planned:	6
Completed:	4
Cancelled:	2
Active:	F-452 Hydra F-453 Spetsae F-454 Psara F-455 Salamis
General characteristics
Type:	frigate
Displacement:	3,360 tons standard, 4,000 tons full load
Length:	117.5 m
Beam:	14.8 m
Draught:	6.0 m
Propulsion:	2 shaft CODOG, controllable pitch propellers , 2 General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 60,656 hp 2 MTU 20V 956 diesel engines, 10,040 hp
Speed:	31 knots (gas turbine), 21 knots (diesel only)
Range:	4,100 nautical miles (8,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement:	173 22 officers, 151 enlisted men
Sensors and processing systems:	Signaal MW08 air search radar Signaal DA08 air surface radar 2 Signaal STIR fire control radar Racal Decca 2690 BT navigation radar Raytheon SQS-56/DE 1160 hull-mounted and VDS sonar SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo decoy Mk XII Mod 4 IFF radar 2 Signaal Mk 73 Mod 1 radar for ESSM Signaal STACOS Mod 2 combat data system SAR-8 IR searcher
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Argo AR 700 ESM system Telegon 10 ESM system Argo APECS II ECM system 4 SCLAR decoy launchers
Armament:	1× Mk 45 Mod 2A 5" gun, 2× Mk15 Phalanx 20 mm CIWS, 2 Mk141 2×2 Harpoon missile launchers, Mk 48 Mod 2 vertical launcher for 32× RIM-162 ESSM, 2 Mk32 Mod 5 2×324mm T/T for Mk46 torpedoes
Aviation facilities:	Hangar for 1 Sikorsky S-70B-6 Aegean Hawk helicopter

The Hydra class are a group of four frigates in service with the Hellenic Navy. They were designed in Germany and are part of the MEKO group of modular warships, in this case the MEKO 200 design. The programme was authorised in 1988 and partially paid for with FMS aid and previsioned for the commission of six vessels. The first ship was built in Germany and commissioned in 1992 but suffered a serious fire while working up near Portland, England. Repairs were completed in 1993. The Greek built warships were delayed due to financial problems on the part of the Hellenic Shipyards completing in the late 1990s which also led to limiting the total number of vessels to four mainly after the acquisition of eight Kortenaer class frigate from the Netherlands in the late 1990s. In 2007, an upgrade of the STIR fire control system to allow the firing of the RIM-162 ESSM surface-to-air missile was launched. Salamis has been firstly upgraded and, in August 2008, successfully completed a live firing test. The other three Hydra vessels were upgraded during 2008.

Ships

See also

• Vasco da Gama-class frigate - built for Portugal
• Anzac-class frigate - built for Australia and New Zealand
• Barbaros-class frigate - Built for the Turkish Navy
• Valour-class frigate - MEKO A-200 frigates built for the South African Navy

References

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

Ship classes of the Hellenic Navy
Frigates	Hydra class Elli class
Gunboats	Asheville class Thetis class Osprey 55 class Osprey HSY-56A class
Submarines	Glafkos class (Neptune I) Poseidon class (Neptune II) Papanikolis class
Fast attack craft	La Combattante IIa class La Combattante III class La Combattante IIIb class Roussen class
Mine warfare ships	Hunt class mine hunters Osprey class mine hunters MSC-294 class minesweepers
Landing Vessels	Jason class LSTs Zubr class LCACs Barbe class