Wielingen (F910)

History

Belgium is a relatively small country compared to its neighbors France and Germany. However, its location allows it to provide important access to the English Channel waterways through the important port city of Antwerp.

This access to water has been driving the country to maintain some sort of blue water presence in the region, providing the first and last line of maritime defense and deterring its shipping from would-be attackers.

The small Willingen-class battle frigate was the Belgian Navy's first post-World War II warship built entirely by the country (although its equipment came from other parties). These types are classified as frigates and feature surface ships equipped with sensors, communications equipment, machinery and weapons for force protection and anti-submarine warfare (ASW).

For the Belgian Navy, the warship acts as an escort and patrol vessel. The decision to adopt the new design was made by the Belgian government in the late 1970s, and the plan was approved in 1971. A formal design study was conducted in 1973.

The Willingen class will follow the outgoing Algeria class, which had 8 numbers for the Belgian Navy and 110 actually completed for her and other global naval forces.

On March 5, 1974, the Boelwerf shipyard laid the lead ship of the new class, Wielingen (F910), and launched on March 30, 1976. She officially entered service on January 20. 1978 and her sisters followed by the end of the year.

This group includes Westdiep (F911), Wandelaar (F912) and Westhinder (F913). Once in service, the class became an important part of Belgian naval capabilities in the late Cold War.

Wielingen displaces 1,880 tonnes under standard load and 2,430 tonnes under full load. She has a length of 349 feet, a beam of 40.4 feet, and a draft of 18.4 feet. She is characterized by a low profile, hiding her mighty chimney well behind the main mast.

Directly behind this installation, a deck gun with a turret is mounted in front of the bridge structure. Interestingly, Willingen did not receive helicopter support facilities, which somewhat simplified their construction and operation. Her crew totaled 159, including up to 14 officers.

Their machine is a Combination Diesel or Gas System Configuration (CODOG) where a 28,000 hp Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbine is linked to 2 Cockerill 240 CO diesel engines rated at 6,000 hp. This arrangement powers both shafts, with the gas turbine functioning during high-speed cruising and the diesel engine propelling the vessel during normal cruising functions.

It can reach speeds of 28 knots and has a range of 5,190 miles.

Due to the versatility of frigates in modern navies, Willingen acquired a range of weapons to deal with most threats at sea. The weapon consists of 2 x MM-38 "Exocet" anti-ship (AS) twin rocket launchers for ground targets and one Mk 29 RIM-7P "Sea Sparrow" anti-aircraft (AA) eight rocket launchers for incoming air targets . Above the forecastle is a conventional naval gun - a 100 mm (3.9 in) Creusot-Loire Mod 68 dual-purpose (DP) deck gun system - in a movable turret. Anti-submarine operations were carried out by a 375mm Crusoe Loire Anti-Submarine Rocket (ASROC) launcher firing Swedish Bofors missiles.

2 x 533 mm (21 in) torpedo launchers manage additional underwater threat fire for the 10 ECAN L5 torpedoes carried. At some point, the 30mm "Goalkeeper" Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) would be incorporated into the Wielingen class of weapons kits, but this initiative was eventually dropped.

To carry out the many duties assigned to it, Willingen carries a range of sensors and processing systems, including Hollandse Signal Apparaten's DA-05 surface search radar, Hollandse Signal Apparaten's WM-25 fire control radar and the Vigy 105 series Director Optronics, Kelvin-Hugues "Scout" Navigation Radar, SEWACO IV Tactical Data System, Argos 900 ESM, a pair of MK 36 SRBOC chaff launchers, SLQ-25 Series "Nixie" Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) decoy kit and mounted on The bow search/attack sonar kit on the AN/SQS-510. These systems, combined with a well-trained and experienced crew and standard armament on board, make Willingen and her class of relatively compact ships formidable warships.

Willingen lived a long and healthy life for the Belgian Navy from 1976 to 2007. With the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union the biggest threat to Europe, the ship was decommissioned in 2006 and sold to Bulgaria in 2008, where she earned her "Verni" ("Loyalty") career.

Her two sister ships suffered the same fate - both were sold to the Bulgarian Navy. Only Westhinder was scrapped (1993).

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Wing