The Antrim-class multirole frigates are a class of warship in service in the Irish Navy from the mid-1990s onwards. They were designed and built using principles of stealthy design, including the extensive use of "X-form" structure design in which right angles and vertical surfaces are avoided, and techniques to reduce the infrared signature, such as expelling pre-cooled exhaust gasses just above the waterline. Eleven of them are currently in service in the Irish Navy.
Specifications[]
- Type: Multirole Frigate
- Service Period: 1998-Present
- Characteristics:
- Length: 440 feet (134.11 meters)
- Beam: 56 feet (17.07 meters)
- Draught: 20 feet (6.1 meters)
- Displacement: 4,400 tons
- Crew: 210
- Propulsion:
- 2 x General Electric LM2500-40 gas turbines
- 1 × SEMT Pielstick Diesel engine, generating 8,800 shp
- 1 × Royal de Schelde cross-connect gearbox
- 2 × Escher Wyss controllable pitch propellers
- 4 × 850kW AEG Telefunken generators
- Range: 8,600 nautical miles (15,927 kilometers) at 16.5 knots (30.56 km/h)
- Speed: 31.5 knots (58.34 km/h)
- Sensor Suite:
- Signaal SMART-L D-Band Long Range Multifunction RDF
- Signaal APAR I-Band Multifunction RDF
- Saab Sea Giraffe HC 180 3D Air Search RDF
- Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 Navigation RDF
- Signaal SPG-503 STIR 1.8 Fire Control RDF
- AN/SQS-510 Hull-mounted variable depth ASDIC
- Thales Type 2087 Towed ASDIC
- Petrel Mine and Obstacle Avoidance ASDIC system
- Cossor AIMS Mark XII identification-friend-or-foe system
- Countermeasures:
- Elisra M275 Electronic Warfare Suite
- Rheinmetall Multi Ammunition Softkill System
- Rascal Thorn modified Sceptre-A electronic support measures
- Telefunken PST-1720 Telegon 10 radar intercept unit
- Armament:
- 1 x Otobreda 127mm/L64 Super Rapid naval guns (with Vulcano ammunition for land-attack missions)
- 1 x 32-cell Vertical Launch System (fires Storm Wind LAMs, Orca II ASW missiles, and Garfish SAMs)
- 2 x 4-cannister Broadsword AShM launchers
- 2 x 12.75" triple fire torpedo tubes (firing Sting Ray lightweight torpedoes)
- 2 x Signaal 30mm Goalkeeper CIWS
- 6 x Mauser MLG-27 27mm autocannons
- Aircraft Carried: 1 x Westland EH101 Merlin or 2 x Westland AW159 Wildcat
Unit Run[]
- LÉ Antrim (F01)
- LÉ Armagh (F02)
- LÉ Down (F03)
- LÉ Fermanagh (F04)
- LÉ Derry (F05)
- LÉ Tyrone (F06)
- LÉ Kildare (F07)
- LÉ Roscommon (F08)
- LÉ Donegal (F09)
- LÉ Shannon (F10)
- LÉ Fingal (F11)