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Top 10 Most Powerful Frigates in The World

INTRODUCTION

Frigates are an indispensable part of any navy. These ships usually form the numerical bulk of a naval fleet as they are relatively cheaper than large destroyers and cruisers. Every modern navy operates frigates in some or the other form and uses them along with larger surface combatants like destroyers and aircraft carriers. The definition of a modern frigate by Defencyclopedia is

A modern frigate is a 3000-7000 ton warship, equipped with an array of missiles, guns and radars, and is designed to operate autonomously, along with a battle group or act as an escort for non-combatants, in order to fulfill a variety of tasks depending on the mission.

A warship displacing 5000-7000 tons need not always be called as a frigate, as many navies prefer the designation of a ‘destroyer’ for such warships. The designations vary from one navy to another, but the role of the ships does not change. Some countries call their larger surface combatants as frigates for political reasons and some others call their smaller surface combatants as frigates. A modern frigate can displace anywhere between 3000-7000 tons. But for the sake of this article, only frigates displacing 4000-7000 tons will be considered.

This article will deal specifically with the frigates designed and built in the 21st century. Each ship has been carefully analyzed to ensure a neutral ranking. The weapons and sensors on board the ship and their ability to handle multiple targets is given importance. Since each frigate has its own set of strengths and their roles vary greatly and a frigate should not be considered to be better just because it is ranked slightly higher. The top 10 frigates will be listed along with their strengths and weaknesses.

Special thanks to Naval Analyses for the beautiful and intricately detailed infographics which will help you to get a clear idea of the systems on board the frigates. The remaining few have been created by Defencyclopedia. I am pretty sure that many of the ships on this list are relatively unknown. So sit back and enjoy reading the article.

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10. Type-54A [China]

File:People's Liberation Army (Navy) frigate PLA(N) Yueyang (FF 575) steams in formation with 42 other ships and submarines during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014.jpg

This is a new class of frigates for the Chinese Navy which is being built in large numbers. It is a cost effective 4000 ton multi-role frigate that is designed for escort as well as independent operations. It is outfitted mainly with Russian electronics and weapons, some of which have been substituted with Chinese copies. Although it packs a punch, it lags behind other contemporary frigates mainly in the radar department. Because it is the cheapest modern frigate in production, China is building dozens of them and 24 ships of this class have been built until now with more under construction.

Strength: Anti-Air Warfare

Propulsion: It has a Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) propulsion with 4 Shaanxi diesel engines, each rated at 5700 kW, thus producing a total of 22,800 kW

Sensors:

  • 1 E-band Fregat-ME as its primary radar for surface and air search
  • 4 Front Dome fire control radars for HQ-16 SAM
  • 1 Mineral ME radar for guiding the anti-ship missiles
  • Hull mounted sonar
  • Towed array sonar ( 17th ship onward )

Armament:

  • 1 x 76 mm dual purpose main gun
  • 8 x C-803 subsonic anti-ship missiles with 180 km range
  • 32 Vertical launch system (VLS) cells for 50 km range HQ-16 (Shtil) SAM with semi-active radar seeker.
  • 2 x Type-730 Close in Weapons System (CIWS) with dedicated search, track and fire control radar. This is being replaced by the 11 barreled Type 1030 CIWS in the newer ships.
  • 2 x 6 ASW rocket launchers for short range rockets
  • 2 triple 324 mm lightweight torpedo tubes
Firing a C-803 Anti-Ship Missile
Firing a C-803 Anti-Ship Missile
Firing a HQ-16 Surface to Air Missile
Firing a HQ-16 Surface to Air Missile
Close up of the bow showing the 32 VLS cells for HQ-16 and the 76 mm gun
Close up of the bow showing the 32 VLS cells for HQ-16 and the 76 mm gun

Cons:

  • It uses the relatively older Fregat-ME radar for surface and air search as its primary sensor.
  • There is no secondary long range radar for volume search.
  • It has 4 older generation mechanically scanning fire control radars for the SAM, limiting the number of aerial targets engaged simultaneously to 4.
  • First 18 frigates of the class lack the important variable depth sonar (VDS).

9. Shivalik class [India]

shivalik class

The Shivalik class is one of the newest frigates of the Indian Navy and has the distinction of being the first class of stealth warships to be designed and built indigenously. It is a very capable platform and excels in all aspects of naval warfare. These 6200 ton ships are classified as frigates and not destroyers due to their relatively light armament with respect to the space available.

Strength: Anti-Submarine Warfare

Propulsion:

  • Combined Diesel or Gas (CODAG) propulsion. Using only diesel engines for low speed cruise and using only gas turbines for high speed cruise.
  • 2 x Pielstick diesel engines, each producing 11,300 kW for a total of 22,600 kW for low speed cruise at up to 22 knots.
  • 2 x LM 2500+ gas turbines, each producing 25,100 kW for a total of 50,200 kW for high speed cruise at 32+ knots (59+ km/hr) 

Sensors:

  • It uses the E-band Fregat-ME 3D radar as its primary radar for surface and air search
  • The secondary radar is the Elta EL/M-2238 STAR operating in the S-band. It is a multi-role radar with a range of 350+ km.
  • 2 Elta EL/M 2221 fire control radars are used for Barak-1 SAM guidance
  • 4 Orekh fire control radars are used for Shtil SAM guidance
  • 1 BEL Aparna radar for 2D surface search and providing targeting data for Klub/BrahMos anti-ship missiles
  • HUMSA-NG( Indian Hull Mounted Sonar Array- New Gen) and ATAS towed array sonar system
shivalik Info
Click on the image for the full resolution version

Armament:

  • It is equipped with 8 Universal VLS cells for Klub/BrahMos anti-ship cruise missiles. They can also be used for land attack roles.
  • 1 x Single arm reloadable launcher for 24 Shtil-1 Surface to Air Missiles. They are semi-active radar homing and have a 40 km range.
  • 32 Barak-1 SAMs in VLS to act as Close in Weapons System (CIWS) and provide defense against sea-skimming cruise missiles.
  • 1 x 76 mm Oto Melara Super rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) with 120 rds/min rate of fire up to a range of 17 km. It is highly effective against surface and aerial threats.
  • 2 x Ak-630 30 mm Gatling guns as CIWS for last ditch defense against anti-ship missiles
  • 2 x RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers. Each launcher has 12 barrels and 96 reloadable rockets below the deck.
  • 2 x Twin 533 mm heavyweight torpedo tubes for engaging sub-surface threats.

Cons:

  • It uses an outdated single-arm launcher for its primary Shtil-1 Surface to Air Missiles. It takes 6 seconds for the missile to reload and the firing arc is limited to the front of the ship. All other ships in this list have vertical launch systems for their primary SAM.
  • Older generation primary radar with mechanically scanning illuminators limit the number of aerial targets engaged simultaneously to 6 (4 can be targeted)
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Firing a 3M54E Klub ‘Sizzler’ anti-ship cruise missile
Firing an Anti-Submarine rocket from the RBU-6000 launcher

8. Fridtjof Nansen class [Norway]

This is one of the least heard of and discussed frigates in the world, even though it has a very advanced weapons and sensor suite. Ordered by the Royal Norweign Navy to replace it’s ageing Oslo class frigates and serve in the anti-submarine role, the 5300 ton Nansen class frigates now form the core of the Norweign Navy and have ended up as very capable multi-role platforms.

Strength: Anti-Submarine Warfare

Propulsion:  It has a Combined diesel and gas (CODAG) propulsion with two diesel engines producing 9MW for low speed cruise and one LM2500+ 21.5 MW gas turbine for high speed cruise. A total of 30.5 MW is generated during CODAG running.

Sensors:

  • It features the American SPY-1F multi-function PESA radar with 4 faces using AEGIS combat system as it’s primary radar.
  • MRS 2000 hull mounted sonar (HMS) and CAPTAS towed array sonar (TAS) provide comprehensive submarine detection capability
  • 2 x SPG-62 radars provide target illumination in the terminal interception stage for Evolved Sea Sparrow surface to air missiles

Armament:

  • 1 x 76 mm Super Rapid gun for engaging surface and aerial threats
  • 8 x Mk41 cells for 32 Evolved Sea Sparrow (ESSM) surface to air missiles with a range of 50 km provide air defense
  • 8 NSM anti-ship/land attack cruise missiles with a 125 kg warhead and a 185+ km range
  • These ships have space for an additional 8 x Mk41 VLS module with 32 more ESSM
  • 4 x 324 mm torpedo tubes for stingray torpedoes provide ASW capability

Cons:

  • It does not have a long range SAM like SM-2 to make full use of the capabilities provided by the SPY-1F radar
By NavalGraphics

7. Carlo Bergamini class [Italy]

Developed as a part of the Franco-Italian FREMM (Multi-Mission Frigate) program, the Italian version of the FREMM is one of the most advanced ships in the world. There are 2 variants

  •  General Purpose (GP) – They are equally good at all aspects of warfare
  • Anti-Submarine (ASW) – They are dedicated for the submarine hunting role and fitted with specific ASW features by sacrificing land attack and anti-ship capabilities.

Strength: Anti-Submarine Warfare

Propulsion:

  • These 6900 ton ships feature an extremely advanced hybrid electric propulsion system which is of the CODLAG (combined diesel-electric and gas turbine) type.
  • It has 1 × 32 MW LM2500+ gas turbine for normal operations.
  • For quiet anti-submarine operations, 2 × 2.5 MW electric motors (powered by 4 diesel generators) are used to run the ship.

Sensors:

  • The primary radar is the Selex MFRA multi-function active phased array radar which can detect targets 400+ km away and provide fire-control for the Aster SAMs
  • 2 Selex NA-25X radars provide fire control for the 76 and 127 mm guns
  • 1 Selex RAN-30X radar is used for surface search in 2D and to provide target designation for the Otomat and MILAS missiles

Armament:

  • 1 x Oto Melara 127 mm gun with long range Vulcano guided shells for land attack and 1 x 76 mm gun with guided shells for engaging aerial and surface targets (GP variant)
  • 2 x Oto Melara 76 mm gun with guided shells (ASW variant)
  • 16 x A50 vertical launch cells for Aster-15/30 SAMs with 35+ km range and 120+ km range respectively provide long-range air defense coverage (common)
  • 4 Otomat anti-ship missiles with 200+ km range (GP variant )
  • 4 MILAS anti-submarine missiles with lightweight torpedo (ASW variant)

Cons:

  • Comparatively small SAM loadout of 16 missiles for a large 6900 ton ship
127 mm gun firing during trials
127 mm gun firing during trials
NH-90 helicopter lands on Carlo Margottini
NH-90 helicopter lands on Carlo Margottini
Click on the image for a higher resolution infographic
Click on the image for a higher resolution infographic

You can read more about these ships in a detailed article by Naval Analyses here

6. Aquitaine class [France]

The Aquitaine class is among the most balanced frigates in the world and are capable of carrying out any type of mission ranging from anti-air warfare to land attack against targets 1000+ km away. These hi-tech ships will be the backbone of the French Navy and 11 ships will be built by 2020. The first 9 ships will be full multi-mission variants and the last 2 will be dedicated for anti-air warfare by sacrificing land attack capability. They are a part of the same FREMM program as the Carlo Bergamini class. These ships feature extreme automation levels and have a crew requirement of just around 120.

Strength: Land Attack

Propulsion:

  • These ships have an advanced hybrid electric-propulsion which is of the CODLOG type (Combined Diesel-Electric or Gas turbine)
  • It has 1 × 32 MW LM2500+ gas turbine for normal operations.
  • For quiet anti-submarine operations, 2 × 2.5 MW electric motors are used to run the ship.

Sensors:

  • The primary radar is the Thales Herakles passive phased array radar which operates in the S-band and has a range of 250 km. It is a multi-fuction radar which can track surface and aerial targets and provide fire control for the Aster SAMs.
  • Vigy MM electro-optical fire control system for the 76 mm gun

Armament:

  • 1 x 76 mm Oto Melara SRGM for engaging surface and aerial threats at a range of 15 km.
  • 16 A43 VLS cells are provided for the medium range Aster-15 SAM with a range of 35+ km
  • 16 A70 VLS cells are equipped with the 1000+ km range naval Scalp cruise missile for land attack roles
  • 8 Exocet Blk3 anti-ship missiles are present amidships for engaging ships at ranges of over 200 km
  • 2 twin tubes for MU90 lightweight torpedoes
  • 3 x Nexter’s NARWHAL 20B 20 mm remote weapons stations for engaging close in surface threats

Cons:

  • There is only 1 main multi-function radar and no secondary search radar. All other ships in this list have at least 2 major radars.
Firing MU90 torpedo
Firing MU90 torpedo
Firing Scalp cruise missile
Firing Scalp cruise missile
Herakles radar
Herakles radar
Click on the image for a higher resolution infographic

You can read more about these ships in a detailed article by Naval Analyses here

5. Álvaro de Bazán-class [Spain]

This ship has the distinction of being the most heavily armed anti-air warfare frigate in the world. The 5 frigates of this class were built to serve as a modern escort for the Spanish fleet. The AEGIS combat system and the SPY-1D radar were chosen to facilitate interoperability with the AEGIS equipped US Navy destroyers. These 6300 ton frigates were chosen as the base design for the Australian Navy’s Hobart class destroyer.

Strength: Anti-Air Warfare

Propulsion:  It has a CODOG (Combined Diesel and Gas Turbine) propulsion system with 2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines and 2 × Caterpillar 3600 diesel engines.

Sensors:

  • It’s primary sensor is the 4 faced SPY-1D PESA radar with the AEGIS combat system. This gives it a world class air defense system which can detect targets at 300+ km. This radar can track hundreds of targets simultaneously. The SPY-1D also provides guidance for the surface to air missiles till the illuminators take over.
  • 2 × Raytheon SPG-62 radar illuminator to provide terminal guidance to the surface to air missiles.
  • 1 x SPS-67 surface search radar
  • It has a bow-mounted Raytheon DE1160 LF active and passive sonar for submarine detection

Armament:

  • 1 x 127 mm Mk45 main gun for use against surface and land targets
  • For anti-air warfare, it has the Mk 41 Vertical Launch system with 48 cells for a combination of  32 SM-2MR Block IIIA (100+ km range) and 64 ESSM (50 km range, 4 missiles per cell) surface to air missiles.
  • 8 × RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles in 2 quad launchers
  • 4 × 324 mm tubes for Mk46 lightweight torpedo

Cons:

  • The older generation mechanically scanning SPG-62 illuminators limit the number of targets engaged simultaneously.

 4. Iver Huitfeldt-class [Denmark]

This ship class has the distinction of being the cheapest among the most advanced frigates in the world. This is due to the fact that they used the already existing hull of the Absalon class support ships to make a frigate, thereby reducing design costs significantly and maintaining commonality. These 6600 ton frigates look a bit bulky and clumsy when compared to other frigates, but they pack a lethal combination of weapons and sensors. Since they share most of their missiles and radars with the next frigates in this list, i will explain them in detail here and just mention them for the other 2.

Strength: Anti-Air Warfare

Propulsion: It is powered by 4 MTU diesel engines which generate 8.2 MW each for a total of 32.8 MW of power.

Sensors:

  • The main sensor is the 4-faced APAR (Advanced Phased Array Radar). This multi-function AESA radar works in the X-band and provides target detection, tracking and engagement in 360°. It has a major advantage over the SPY-1 search and SPG-62 illumination radar combination used in the Alvaro de Bazan class as the APAR can detect the incoming targets as well as provide guidance for 32 SAMs simultaneously including terminal illumination for 16 of them. Such a capability is invaluable while handling saturation missile attacks and allows the use of the SM-2 and ESSM surface to air missiles to their fullest potential.
  • The Thales SMART-L radar provides long range aerial surveillance and the ability to detect and track ballistic missiles at distances of 400+ km. This AESA radar operating in the L-band is capable of tracking 1500 targets simultaneously and provides early warning.
  • There are 2 Saab CEROS 200 fire control radars to provide fire control for the 76 mm and 35 mm guns on board.
  • The Atlas ASO 94 hull mounted sonar provides submarine detection capability.

Armament:

  • 32 Mk 41 VLS cells for a total of 32 SM-2 IIIA surface-to-air missiles (100+ km range)
  • Mk 56 VLS cells for 24 RIM-162 ESSM ( 50 km range)
  • 2 quad launchers for 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles
  • 1 × Oerlikon Millennium 35 mm CIWS. This a highly advanced revolver gun with a 1000 rpm rate of fire. It uses special air-burst ammunition to destroy incoming threats.
  • 2 × OTO Melara 76 mm guns ( Will be replaced by 127 mm and 35 mm guns)
  • 2 × Dual MU90 ASW torpedo launchers
iver huitfeldt class
Click on the image for the full resolution version

Cons:

  • Diesel-only propulsion system when compared to the cutting edge CODOG/CODELAG systems on board the other top frigates.
  • No towed array sonar

3. De Zeven Provincien class [Netherlands]

The 4 air-defence frigates of this class are among the most advanced ships in their category. These 6000 ton ships possess advanced radars and missiles and is slated for a major radar upgrade which will give it unparalleled surveillance capability. This frigate class is noted for it’s anti-ballistic missile capability which was demonstrated in NATO exercises. It’s radars are said to be fully capable of detecting and tracking ballistic missiles at distances of 500+ km and target engagement will be done by US Navy ships using this information as these frigates don’t possess the SM-3 missile yet.

Strength: Anti-Air Warfare

Propulsion: It has a Combined Diesel and Gas turbine (CODAG) propulsion. The 2 x Wärtsilä diesel engines generate 4.2 MW each and the 2 × Rolls Royce Spey turbines generate 18.5 MW each, for a total of 45.4 MW

Sensors:

  • The main sensor is the 4-faced APAR (Advanced Phased Array Radar). This multi-function AESA radar works in the X-band and provides target detection, tracking and engagement in 360°. It will be upgraded with an increased range version.
  • The Thales SMART-L radar provides long range aerial surveillance and the ability to detect and track ballistic missiles at distances of 400+ km. This AESA radar operating in the L-band is capable of tracking 1500 targets simultaneously and provides early warning. A newer version with the capability to detect and track ballistic missiles 2000+ km away will be installed in the future.
  • An Atlas Elektronik DSQS-24C hull-mounted sonar provides submarine detection capability

Armament:

  • It has a 40 cell Mk41 VLS system with 32 x SM-2 IIIA surface-to-air missiles (1 per cell) and 32 × Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (4 per cell)
  • 1 × Oto Melara 127 mm dual-purpose gun
  • 2 × Goalkeeper CIWS with a 30 mm Gatling gun firing at 3000 rpm
  • 2 quad launchers for 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles
  • 2 × twin torpedo launchers with  MK46 lightweight torpedoes

Cons: No towed array sonar

2. Sachsen class [Germany]

Developed as a replacement for the Lütjens class destroyer, the Saschen is an advanced anti-air frigate built for the Deutsche Marine (German Navy). It’s sensor suite and armament are largely similar to that of the Iver Huitfeldt and De Zven Provincien class frigates. The Sachsen however has a small advantage owing to its dual helicopter hangars, compared to the single hangar on the other two.  3 ships of this class serve at present and plans for a 4th ship were shelved. Keeping future upgrades in mind, these 5800 ton ships have been designed to accommodate 270 tons of extra weight.

Strength: Anti-Air Warfare

Propulsion: They have a Combined Diesel and Gas turbine (CODAG) propulsion system with 1 x LM2500 gas turbine generating 23,500 kW  and 2 x MTU diesel engines generating 7.5 MW each. A total of 38.5 MW of power is available for high speed cruises.

Sensors:

  • The main sensor is the 4-faced APAR (Advanced Phased Array Radar). This multi-function AESA radar works in the X-band and provides target detection, tracking and engagement in 360°.
  • The Thales SMART-L radar provides long range aerial surveillance and the ability to detect and track ballistic missiles at distances of 400+ km. This AESA radar operating in the L-band is capable of tracking 1500 targets simultaneously and provides early warning.
  • 1 x Atlas bow-mounted sonar for detecting submarines

Armament:

  • It has 32 Mk41 VLS cells to carry a mix of 24 SM-2 Blk IIIA  + 32 ESSM  Surface To Air Missiles. This variant of the SM-2 has a 150+ km range and serves the role as an area defence SAM. The 50 km range ESSM provides medium range air defence.
  • It has 2 x RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) launchers with 21 missiles each. A total of 42 missiles of 10 km range form the third layer of air defence for this frigate.
  • 2 x quad launchers for 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles
  • 1 x 76 mm Oto Melara dual purpose gun
  • 2 x triple launchers for MU90 lightweight torpedoes
  • 2 x Rheinmetall 27 mm guns in remote weapons station

Cons: Absence of a towed array sonar limits it’s ASW capabilities.

F219 Sachsen test fires an SM-2 Block IIIA SAM

You can read more about these ships in a detailed article by Naval Analyses here

 1. Admiral Gorshkov class [Russia]

[IMG]

The Admiral Gorshkov class of guided missile frigates, which incorporate the best weapons and sensors that the Russian industry can produce, is set to be the mainstay of the future Russian fleet. It has an excellent balance of weapons and sensors and is the perfect example for a multi-role frigate. Many ships in this list either lack a secondary radar, land-attack capability or a proper CIWS. But this ship right here, has everything that is needed for a modern surface combatant and displacing around 5000 tons when fully loaded. Russia has planned to build 15 ships for its fleet and as of now, 3 ships are under construction and 1 is finished.

This ship has an excellent balance of weapons and sensors and is the perfect example for a modern ‘Multi-Role Frigate’

Strength: Anti-Air warfare, Anti-Submarine and Surface Warfare

Propulsion: It features a combined diesel and gas turbine (COGAG) propulsion with 2  diesel engines generating 3.9 MW each and 2 M90FR gas turbines producing 20.5 MW each, for a total of  49 MW of power.

Sensors:

Furke volume search radar
Furke volume search radar
Poliment multi-function radar ( 2 faces seen)
Poliment multi-function radar ( 2 faces seen)
  • It has a 4 face Poliment 5P-20K multi-function S-band AESA radar which can search and track aerial and surface targets as well as provide guidance to the SAMs.
  • This is complemented by a Furke-4 volume search radar which is uniquely mounted on top of the main radar itself. This prevents interference and allows both radars to have unobstructed search capability.
  • Monolit 34K1 radar is used for Anti-Ship missile guidance and surface search
  • Puma fire control radar for the 130 mm gun and 2 illuminators for the Palash CIWS
  • Submarine detection capability is provided by the Zarya M bow mounted and Vinyekta towed array sonars along with the embarked Ka-27 ASW helicopter

Armament:

16 UKSK cells (above) and 32 Redut cells (Below)
16 UKSK cells (above) and 32 Redut cells (Below)
Palma CIWS firing
Palma CIWS firing
UKSK cell hatch open for Kalibr missile launch
UKSK cell hatch open for Kalibr missile launch
130 mm A192M gun
130 mm A192M gun
14.5 mm machine gun
14.5 mm machine gun
  • 1 × 130mm A-192M primary gun
  • 16  Universal VLS cells which can be armed with P-800 Oniks (300-500 km range) anti-ship missiles, Kalibr-Nk land attack cruise missiles (2500 km range), 91RTE2 Anti-submarine missile (which drops a torpedo 50 km away)
  • Long-range air defense is provided by 32 Redut VLS cells, which can carry 32 9M96E series SAMs of 40-120 km range
  • 2  Palash CIWS with twin 30 mm Gatling guns each. It has an integrated electro-optic fire control system and 8 short range SAMs.
  • 2 pedestal mounted 14.5 mm heavy machine guns
  • It has 2 x 4 330mm torpedo tubes for the unique Paket-NK torpedoes which can engage enemy submarines as well as torpedoes, thus serving a dual role.

Cons: It has no significant drawbacks

CONCLUSION

Since this article has laid emphasis on weapons, sensors and multi-role capabilities of the frigates, the chart topper will be the best multi-role frigate. It is also important to keep in mind that some ships ranked slightly lower may excel in only one area as they have been designed that way from the outset. Every navy may not require a multi-role frigate as their areas of operation and threats faced are totally different. Most European navies lay a heavy emphasis on anti-air warfare as they perceive Russian cruise missiles as a major threat. Asian navies tend to place more emphasis on surface warfare with full multi-role capability. I hope this list has given you a good idea about the 10 most advanced frigates in service today.

There are many more advanced frigates which are going to enter service in the next 5-10 years. Some of the exciting frigate projects like the British Type 26 and the Indian P-17A are going to set new standards in capabilities and performance. China is rumoured to be working on a Type 54B frigate with better features. Frigates will continue to remain as a backbone for most navies worldwide.

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152 Replies to “Top 10 Most Powerful Frigates in The World”

      1. They are successive to Shivalik Class. Do you have any idea/guess about the arnaments of P17A frigates? Thanks for reply and do make a list for Corvetts as well.

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  3. Completely agree with your list….. Especially the Sachsen class being the badass that it is…. Also I have to agree that the Shtil on the Shivalik is outdated….
    Two points…
    1. Several ships are quite clearly, to me atleast, are destroyers being called frigates.. The Alvaro de Bazan class, the Italian Carlo Bergamini class especially (I mean, 1 127mm gun and two 76 mm SRGMs….!)
    2. Why didn’t the LCS figure in the list or for that matter the Talwar (Krivak IV) class?

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    1. Thank you
      1. Some of these ships are designated as frigates for political reasons. I still have to consider them. As long as they are less than 7000 tons , I have put them in the list.
      2. LCS isn’t a frigate. It hardly has any weapons. And the Krivak IV would have been number 11 on the list. Since this is a top 10 list, I couldn’t include it.

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      1. Thanks for the reply!! Is wondering though if you could bring out an article on the LCS… The two competing designs and the various modules….!

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    2. Bergamini si either fitted with 127+76mm OR 2×76 depending on the roles.
      It can also be easilly fitted with adictional 16xA50 or A70 launchers in areas now reserved for crew equipment storage. Their role is purely frigade, escorting Cavour and other heavies units which share the same radar system environment.
      Current main AA defence ships in MMI are the Horizon destroyers which can interoperate with the Frem and Cavour radar system, extending their effective range.

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  4. I enjoyed reading this list. Thanks again for another well researched, objective and informative article. The Russian frigate sounds very scary.

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    2. UKSK VLS found on the Gorshkov class and other modern Russian Navy ships (the launcher is common with the submarines too) is being adapted for the hypersonic AShM – Zircon. The initial integration is expected to be complete in December, this year.

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  5. a very good article, keep doing things like this, can i use your info for a youtube video? i will publish your page like the best one!

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  7. Excellent article. I have been waiting for a detailed analysis of Shivalik from you for a long time. One question, as you have stated PLAN Type- 54 A is built to cost. Do you think that it will seriously affect the capability of the Frigate going one on one against Shivalik even though they are of different weight class? Will I be right to compare Type-54 A class with Talwar class? One trend that I see in PLAN is for them to make larger number of vessels in a given class that adds up to numbers. Of course numbers has it’s own charm. But in operational aspects, where will Type-54 A fare against the American vessels ( of course Burke will be facing not Type- 54 A but Type- 52 D Destroyers)? Anyway excellent article. Would appreciate to hear your views on my questions.

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    1. Thank you.

      Frigates never go one on one against each other.
      It’s right to compare the Type 54A with the Talwars.
      In a combat scenario the Type 54A will complement the Type 52D and provide inner layer protection in a carrier battle group.

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      1. One more question that I have? India is building much smaller number of ships in any class compared to PLAN ;for eg:only 3 Shivalik and only 3 Kolkata. Why do you think India is opting for such fewer ships and will it create deficiencies against China? I feel building greater number would be better for India.

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      2. India can never match China numerically and don’t need to. China is building a navy to operate in the Pacific and Indian oceans and hence they need a larger navy. They also have bigger territorial ambitions as well. Since India is building a navy for power projection in the Indian Ocean only, comparatively smaller numbers will be sufficient.

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    2. The reason India has been building smaller number of these advanced ship is simply cause of the lack of manufacturing capabilities in the past. We took a long time even to commission these ships, much longer than the standard global period of 5-6 years for a Destroyer/Frigate.
      Anyways, now with the upgradation of our Shipyards we should be able to churn out warships at a much quicker rate, and our fast economic growth is definitely gonna help.
      Several Shipyards- MDL,GRSE, Pipavav,CSL have been upgraded to enable modular construction.
      Also Private Shipyards like Pipavav have started getting Defence contracts which will take load of the Public yard shipyards.
      The changes are very much visible now with order of 4 Porject 15B Frigates and 7 Project 17A Frigates . The numbers could further increase with sources saying about 10 Project 17A could be ordered.

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      1. According to what i think, India will be manufacturing massive numbers of weaponry in decades to come (beyond 3) when Indian economy will finally reach top 3 where it deserves. Finally that time i think India will be having its military bases in countries like Mauritius, Seychelles, Bhutan & all and we MAY have something like SAARC Task Force consisting combatants from member countries (Here’s a read from 3rd party which slightly goes off-topic but is a good read for you – http://swarajyamag.com/culture/foreign-military-bases-how-india-shoots-itself-on-the-foot ) and that will be the beginning of India’s major involvement in the global military affairs

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  9. Pingback: Top 10 Most Powerful Frigates in The World | manojambat

  10. C’est ridicule, pourquoi les frégates de la marine Canadienne ne sont pas la ?, a quoi sa serre de servir l’OTAN si ont parle jamais de nous. En plus il ont été moderniser.

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    1. L’auteur a dit que cette liste inclue seulement les fregates construit dans le 21ieme siecle. Les fregates du classe Halifax sont capables et moderne, meme plus depuis leur modernisation, mais ils sont trops vielles pour etre inclue.

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  11. I think the SPY-1D is above that the APAR mainly because they are mechanical radars.The Alvaro de Bazan class has ARIES radar for incoming missiles and can fire sm-3 missiles, tomahawks and terminal illumination for hundred of them. And the most important, BDSM capabilities with SOFTWARE upgrade.

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    1. Because the USN no longer uses or needs frigates unless you consider the LCS. They have 62 Arleigh Burke DDG’s, when you have 62 of the world’s most powerful surface combatants do you really still need frigates?

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      1. Destroyers are wasted in escort roles. While they have powerful anti-air capabilities, they lack top of the line ASW. They are best used to blast enemy warships straight to the bottom. Frigates are primarily escort and ASW vessels, no matter what the Navy brass wants for the LCS. They are wasted in anti-surface roles.

        Right now, the Navy is slowly admitting its mistake with the LCS ships. All of them are scheduled for serious anti-air upgrades with a new over-the-horizon missile system. Of course, no plans are afoot to upgrade the 57-mm main gun.

        Also, the Pentagon is now exploring plans for a new frigate and is considering designs based on the Dutch Navy’s Absolon class, as well as the Iver Huitfeldt frigates. Unfortunately, the decision to either sell off or scrap the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates instead of upgrading them is irreversible (no one in the Navy even thought of giving some of them to the Coast Guard, minus the missile systems).

        I hope the Navy fixes this problem fast. The issue in the South China Sea won’t go away anytime soon.

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  15. I wondered why Indian ships always contain less weapons….i mean the weapons are potent but less in number. Ships which are of lesser dimensions have more armament. I mean Kolkata class are around 8000 ton ships, still they have only 16 brahmos
    and 32 sam while ships with lesser size carry a bigger punch…

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    2. This is a good question. See, you need to look at these ships as oversized and not under armed. Smaller ships with heavy armament make compromises in crew comfort and fuel storage, thereby affecting endurance. Hence the Indian navy prefers ships with the armament of a 5000 ton frigate and the endurance and space of a 7500 ton destroyer. The extra space also allows them to standardize a secondary volume search radar. I also mentioned in my kamorta article that it is not under armed but oversized. You need to look at these ships from a different perspective.

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  16. A very good article but “These ships usually form the numerical bulk of a naval fleet as they are relatively cheaper than large destroyers and cruisers” is true only for Blue water navies or countries that does not need to guard and patrol their homeland. For other navies that need to guard their homeland use large number of Corvettes instead of Frigates and Destroyers. As for example Indonesia, India, Israel, Malayasia and others. But then how to define Japanese navy that classifies almost all its ships as destroyers ?
    It is surprising to see no American or British frigates.
    Shivalik class frigates uses stealth design how about other frigates? Do they use the same too?

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    1. The designations are different for different navies. I have already mentioned it. It is done purely for political purposes.

      There are no American frigates because the US navy doesn’t have any frigates. The British frigates are of a very old design and didn’t make it to the list.

      All the frigates in this list make use of stealth technology.

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    1. Thanks. The Type-23 is very outdated when compared to all the modern frigates out there. It may feature between 15-20 ranks. The type 26 is a very good design and will make it to the top 10, but since it is lacking in the radar and LR-SAM department, it won’t make it to the top 5.

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      1. I would be interested to see where you rate the T23 after it’s been through it’s current mid-life refit.

        The T26 isn’t really that lacking in the radar department, primarily BECAUSE of the CAMM missile that it will use (officially with 25km range, but rumoured to be closer to 60km in trials – there is also an extended range version in development). CAMM doesn’t need a sophisticated radar (in fact it doesn’t need radar at all – it can even be cued by an electro-optical sensor). As it’s a frigate (which means in RN parlance that it’s an ASW platform, destroyers are AAW) – it is only intended to have a local area air-defence capability. Pair it up with a T45 destroyer (Aster-15 and 30 with Sampson, Smart-L and PAAMS) and you have a couple of very capable escorts for the new carriers.

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  19. The Iver Huitfeldt class frigates carries 16 not 8 Harpoon missiles. Or they can fit an additional 24 ESSM for a total of 48 instead(thanks to the StanFlex containers)

    And while the diesel only propulsion is not optimal for ASW work, it is significantly cheaper and gives these frigates a much longer range (+9300Nm @ 18Kts)

    “These 6600 ton frigates look a bit bulky and clumsy when compared to other frigates,”
    …Really?…you honestly think the Huitfeldts look “clumsy” compared to say the Bergamini, Sachsen or Alvaro de Bazan classes ? If so, you need to get your eyes checked !

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    1. Yes it looks a bit, and Bergamini looks much more clumsy, but not Sachsen or Alvaro de Bazán classes. Anyway, Iver Huitfeldt is the 4th most amazing frigate worldwide!

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    1. Destroyer sounds warlike. Frigate sounds polite. Many navies won’t be alloted budget for destroyers but will be alloted money for frigates. Hence they build large ships and call them frigates.

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  23. Hi N.R.P.

    according to your analysis, and also as per my understanding, the Indian Shivalik class frigates are primarily focused on ASW, whereas there is a dedicated Kamorta class corvette in Indian Navy for that specific role.also the new Kolkata class destroyers also have significant ASW capabilities, much better than anti ship or anti aircraft role. I want to know, why this sudden shift in the doctrine of Indian Navy to focus on Anti submarine capabilities?

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    1. Hi. This is mainly because the Indian navy considers the Pakistan Navy submarines as their biggest threat. Similar to how the US considers the Russian cruise missiles as their biggest threat and focuses of anti air warfare. That is why the Indian Navy focuses primarily on ASW. Their potential adversaries, the Chinese Navy also uses submarines to patrol the Indian Ocean. The IN is well equipped to deal with any surface and air threat in the region(which are few) but the number of sub surface threats is growing day by day. All the major surface combatants of the Indian navy are fully multi role even though they focus on ASW.

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  24. Very superb and excellent article i love it would u continue these type of articles like this in near future and once again hearty congrats for ur effort

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      1. Due to displacement? pr.20382 carries 12 medium range SAMs (as well as other systems – notably Ka27PL helicopter), pr.20385 carries 16 medium range SAMs and 8 full strike length VLS cells, thus armamement wise those ships are in Frigate territory.

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  26. Great article! Really appreciate the more “Horizontal” look across a single platform. Would be great to see similar for other weapon systems

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  27. Great article, as I am more familiar with type 054a frigate, I find your post is a little bit misleading. The type 54a frigate primary role is not medium air defence, but anti-submarine, it packed torpedo in its vls. And all type 054a equipped with TAS, the older version equipped with type 206, newer version with type 311 TAS and VDS. The main radar is not 1 E-band Fregat-ME, it is called type 382 3D radar, PLAN has its own 3D search radar, but they installed it in a russian manner. The radar peak power is 100kw, which is higher than the russian one. The newer CIWS is 1130 not 1030. The 1130 means 11 barrels 30mm guns.

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  28. Hi N.R.P. Very detailed and informative article on frigates. Loved reading it like always. Even I am an aspiring defense analyst and would like to get some guidance from you. Can I send you an e-mail asking my queries ?

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  29. Though I love all your detailed articles, i have a lot of queries on the position of the Shivalik Class.

    1. You have given the strength as “Anti -submarine Warfare”. Yes , definitely. As far as I know, Shivalik Class, and the Admiral Gorshkov Class are probably the only Frigates to carry both – a Hull mounted as well as a Towed Array sonar. Along with Heavy Torpedo tubes + Anti-sub rocket launchers. Definately a powerful punch on the Shivalik.
    But how can you ignore its Anti-Ship/Land attack capabilities? Thats the primary role along with Anti-sub warfare! Shouldn its strength talk about that as well?

    2. The Top Speed and Operational Rangeare highest in the Shivalik compared to any other Frigate on this list. Top Speed as you mentioned is 32 knots+ , while operational range is over 9000 kms at 18 knots.

    3. Aviation capabilities – Shivalik is only among the few Frigates with a hanger for 2 Helicopters while most Frigates can accommodate only one.

    Correct me if im wrong, Shivalik seems to be on Top(no.1) when it comes to factors like – Anti-ship capabilities , Anti-sub capabilities, Aviation capabilities, Top Speed and Operational Range.
    Yes the radar is a shortcoming compared to some more advanced AESA radars, but however other factors make it better than most of the Frigates in this list?
    The Chinese compare Shivalik to their Type052C Destroyer for its size,firepower and capabilities.

    Also about Admiral Gorshkov Class – Its a smaller , on a budget Frigate. The design has limited range and aviation capabilities.
    It holds lesser SAMs – just 32. Like all other Frigates except the Shivalik – it has light Torpedo tubes and no Anti-sub rocket launchers.

    I still cant make sense of this ranking.

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  30. Hi. I think you missed this very important line in the conclusion ” It is also important to keep in mind that some ships ranked slightly lower may excel in only one area as they have been designed that way from the outset.”

    1)The Shivalik doesn’t show any proof of having a torpedo tube, nevertheless I have mentioned it. I would be great full if you could prove the existence of torpedo tubes on this ship as all major publications deny it’s presence. This is a major shortcoming if true.

    2) These factors haven’t been considered in the article.

    3) This is an advantage, but I have already mentioned the category on which I’ve made the rankings. It’s on pure multi role performance and sensor capabilities. Helicopters haven’t been considered for any ship in the ranking.

    And I’m sorry to say this, but nowadays a modern sensor suite is everything. You are going by number of missiles carried and this is a very wrong way to compare as the performance of each missile is different.

    Again you’re wrong about the Gorshkov, it’s not a budget frigate but a very very expensive one and it’s smaller size doesn’t matter as it has way better sensor and weapons capabilities than Shivalik! Please don’t see the number of missiles! Shivalik has an outdated single arm launcher. I’m sure you can compare the weapons based on what I’ve written. 32 SAM of 120 km range on Gorshkov is more and better than 24 SAM of 35 km on Shivalik. I seriously hope you aren’t considering 32 Barak-1 along with Shtil as they are present to make up for the severe limitations in engagement range and angle of Shtil. The Gorshkov has 16 secondary SAM but doesn’t need them as the primary SAM is among the best in the world. If you read the article and compare the details properly, everything is clear. 🙂

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    1. Domestic 9M96 series rounds are said to have 150km range vs the 120km range of 9M96E2 round. In it’s SAM capacity (32 rounds) it is compatable to the PAAMS operating European Air Defense Destroyers.

      ASW wise it doesn’t operate ASW rocket launchers as we are fielding Paket-NK system to replace ASW rocket launchers in that role. You would note those on both the Gorshkov class Frigates and Steregushy class corvettes.
      The imporvement is mostly in the area of torpedo protection – Paket-NK allows better hard kill engagements against the inbound torpedoes (than, for example Udav series ASW rocket launchers) using it’s own lightweight counter torpedo.
      For longer range engagements there are Kalibr series ASW missiles in the VLS.

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  31. Very informative article.
    There are some news stating indian navy to install barak 8 batteries on 23 major warships including three carriers, P15A, P15B, Delhi class destroyers, Shivalik class and P17A class frigates. If this is true then I don’t think fregate or other israeli radars are capable to guide barak 8. So Shivalik class will get new sensors including MF STAR radar or new israeli targeting radars. Correct me if I am wrong.
    But some other reports also stats navy is keen towards new VLS launched Shtil1 to replace older Shtil1.
    What do you think which will give more advantage?

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    1. Thank you. All older ships won’t get Barak-8. Only a few selected ones will. Barak-8 is active radar homing and doesn’t need any illuminators. Any S-band radars can provide targeting data so integration won’t be a problem.

      I heard that India is looking at Shtil VL for their older ships. This is the cheaper alternative. Barak-8 will give an advantage in every aspect.

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  32. Very informative article.
    There are some news stating indian navy to equip barak 8 batteries on 23 major warships including three carriers, P15A, P15B, Delhi class destroyers, Shivalik class and P17A class frigates. If this is true then I don’t think fregate or other israeli radars are capable of guiding barak 8. So Shivalik class will get new sensors including MF STAR radar or new israeli targeting radars. Correct me if I am wrong.
    But some other reports also stats that navy is keen towards new VLS launched Shtil1 to replace older Shtil1.
    What do you think which will give more advantage? Bcz upgrading with barak 8 will require major refit.

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  33. Pingback: Comparing Frigates | Canadian Naval Review

  36. Thanks for replay.
    Is it true that IN is looking for new CIWS. There are only couple of news. But they are shocking bcz IN didn’t invited any russian firm!
    Contenders are european and israeli firms. I thought Palash or pantsir CIWS will be straight winner. Do you know anything about it?

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    1. There is a lot of ambiguity in the tender and selection process. The tender asks for a gun+missile CIWS, whereas only Russian Palma/Pantsyr CIWS are of that category. Very weird. I am waiting for the final confirmation as well.

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    1. Thank you. As per the currently available information, the Type-26 is designed with a single radar and focuses mainly on ASW and Land Attack. I would put it in the number 6 spot as I give a lot of importance to primary and secondary radars. The Type 26 overcomes it’s limitations by operating along with the Type-45.

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  38. Why not write an article on air to air missiles. It will be interesting.
    Also an article on AESA radars will be much appreciated.

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  39. I think that Alvaro Bazan is better than Iver Huitdeldt and De Zeven Provincien and maybe even Sachsen, the beast has a 64 cell VLS

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    2. 48 cells, not 64. And I’ve considered the advantages of not having a mechanically scanning illuminator and having a secondary L-band radar on Iver Huitfeldt and others.

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      1. I see, but I still think the Bazan will be more effective than the Iver Hudfielt, the AEGIS system is an advantage especially since the Spanish Navy has multiple Bazan frigates in it’s fleet

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  41. Hi, excellent analysis. There is a slight correction on the 054A, the multi-function radar is the Type 382 and not the Fregat. I am not sure if the Type 382 is a copy of the Fregat or not because they look very similar.

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  43. Hello N.R.P,

    First of all what a GREAT article, i have seen so many BS comparisons on the net and while some of them are informative they carry little to no value. That said your comparison list ain’t perfect (Mainly due to the lack of accurate sources and available data since most on-line sources have not been updated) But its one of the best i have seen so far. (Nice work dude)

    That said i would like to point out that the Dutch LCF frigates come on 2 different types.
    ‘ADCF’ (Air Defence and Command Frigate) and ‘ADF’ (Air Defence Frigate) which is a important thing since it would mean that 2 out of the 4 ships do not have “extended command” facilities like the ADCF has. (To my knowledge the ADF version has been rejected and all 4 ships are ADCF but future orders might include ADF versions (If we ever decide to purchase/order another vessel)

    Anyway the F-100 Project which was the birth place of The Dutch, Danish, German, Spanish Frigates and they are all pretty much the same but MAY have a slightly different configurations (National requirements) As for the Dutch ships i would like to point out that out of all the ships here none comes even close to the Sensor & Radar capabilities and since the last update they have become even better. I would kindly share this link with you so you could update your post.

    http://www.seaforces.org/marint/Netherlands-Navy/Frigate/De-Zeven-Provincien-class.htm

    (Note: it would be advisable to read the whole page itself as it does contain lots of missing info and since you made such a great topic i was assuming you would appreciate the info.)

    This all being said you said that the Seven Pro…. Class frigates do not have towed array sonar which could be a con.. However with the NH-90 Heli being real-time networked with the Ships sensors + its own sensors it would be highly debatable if a towed array sonar would be needed.
    For your info here a copy past:

    “This is the NFH (Nato Frigate Helicopter), as developed by NH-Industries, which in itself is a consortium formed by four companies: Augusta, Eurocopter France, Eurocopter Deutschland, and Fokker. The NH-90 is a twin-engine 6-ton helicopter with a 3-ton useful load. It has a low radar signature fuselage, a four-bladed rotor, fly-by-wire controls, and multiple redundancies for all major systems.

    The NH90 will be equipped with sonarbuoys / dipping sonar, tactical radar, a Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD), a tactical Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) system, an Electronic Warfare System, different anti-submarine weapons, and a complete set of passive and active protection measures against the possible threats. It will be capable of night operations and operations in bad weather.”

    Anyway its all on the link provided above.
    That said i just wrote you a wall of text. (Just kidding)

    Kind Regards,
    Nico

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    1. Thanks Nico. Really appreciate you taking the time to give such a detailed feedback. I will go through the links you have posted and make the necessary updates and corrections as soon as possible. 🙂

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  44. @N.R.P thanks for the fast response.
    Yet i would like to make one small correction in what i told you:
    2 of the 4 dutch ships are actually ADF configurations and the other 2 are ADCF.
    As you can read here: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/de-zeven-provincien.htm

    Cheers.

    @R1TAN
    The alvaro bazan class frigate is a product from the F-100-F-124 Project which i explained to N.R.P in my previous post. Now while the Alvaro Bazan Class Frigate is a true novel in her own right, it is made with far less requirements then the Dutch and German Frigates. The same goes for the Danish and Norwegian Frigates they also have been build with different but lower requirements.
    Does that take anything away of the frigates produced out of the F-100 and F-124 projects? Hell no.
    Each of these frigates are highly advanced and far more capable then their modest technical details would suggest.
    Regarding your comment about the Alvaro Bazan class is better then the De Zeven Provinciën-class or the German Sachen Class i have to strongly disagree. The reason for this is simple, its not the firepower that makes the difference, its all in the internal software, processing power and highly automated internal workings used in the Dutch and German frigates (Or should i say destroyers) because they both are only frigates in name, but capability wise they are true destroyers) Keep in mind most on-line sources do discredit to the true nature and capabilities of both frigates. Yet the whole internal system, command & control and so on.
    Now while this is going to sound very “weird and patriotic” considering i am Dutch myself i would like to add, that there is no best frigate as each frigate class is build around a specific set of national needs, Which may vary depending if a navy has large or small ambitions & tasks and national/international requirements. Also budgetary limits will force a nation to make in some cases painful sacrifices during the R & D of such huge project.
    That all said when it comes to the internal systems (And the sick list of capabilities and Automation) of both the German and the Dutch frigates it is just truly world class and absolutely high end.
    These vessels are not build to fill a capability gap and neither are the build to have a national navy boost a few shiny ships, these frigates have been build with EU/NATO and Benelux (And for the Dutch Caribbean) region and area requirements in mind. Also before i forget to mention it, The Spanish navy could have made the Alvaro Bazan just as powerful as the Dutch / German versions but due to the fact the Spanish have a far different navy it was not a requirement (Also cash flow and technology limits forced the Spanish navy to rethink their ambitions). A problem the Dutch and to a large degree the Germans did not have.

    Spain did have a need for a high-end can do it all master of none (ADF) configuration. And the US did lobby very hard forcing the Spanish to go with the Aegis Combat System and its associated AN/SPY-1 radar and at that time this was the best option, yet when the Dutch finished the development of the modified SMART-L & APAR systems (Thales Netherlands) it proved to trump any other available existing sensor suit in the world, also while the ACS is fantastic it does have limitations (Age and tech wise) the Thales system however set a new standard right out of the box, and is yet to be upgraded again.

    Anyway to finish my wall of text, Germany and the Netherlands did have far more need for a multi-role vessel while investing heavy into dedicated Command & Control Facilities, Sensors & Radars + Anti Air & Task-group protection and as such they are dedicated “ADCF” (While having all the Multi-role capabilities available like the Danish, Spanish and Norwegian versions.)
    Bottom-line it does not matter if you operate a Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian or Spanish version of the F-100/F-124 Project you know one thing: It is world class and worth every penny.
    Which just cannot be said about Asian, American or Russian “current” available designs. The F-100/F-124 project was started with exactly that in mind, develop and produce a platform that is made to last and is top of the class in every single aspect.
    In time other projects will eventually produce better ships and capabilities as technology changes from day to day, but by that time it will still be limited to nations that have the infrastructure to research and eventually develop/produce such platforms. The Netherlands is on that regard fortunate to have Damen/Schelde shipyards, Thales Netherlands and a rich national history & industry to be able to research,develop and produce such platforms, the only problem is money and obviously being able to spread the R&D cost.
    Thats why it went shopping for partners and since the mentioned nations did have similar needs.
    This is exactly the same as with the Walrus Class Submarine and the Karel Doorman JSS.

    Regards,
    Nico

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    1. Now that is embarrassing.
      It seems that i did make a few spelling errors and forgot to finish some lines.
      So let me make a small attempt in correcting some of this:

      “Yet the whole internal system, command & control and so on.”
      Yet the whole internal system, command & control and so on is pretty much best money can buy. (At this point in time) Its true power does not come from the weapons, it power comes from the way how it handles the real-time data and how it response to that, and every single NATO exercise it has been proven time and time again, yet if you look up the technical details you think: Is that all.

      “Thats why it went shopping for partners and since the mentioned nations did have similar needs.”
      Thats why it went shopping for partners and since the mentioned nations did have similar needs and ambitions the F100/F124 project was born.

      “This is exactly the same as with the Walrus Class Submarine and the Karel Doorman JSS.”
      This is exactly the same as with the Walrus Class Submarine and the Karel Doorman JSS, yet due to US involvement and lobbing we ended up finishing the JSS ourself.

      Cheers.
      Nico

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  45. Defencyclopedia, I have a concept for a frigate and wonder where it would fit on the list, the specs for my concept are:

    4700 ton displacement
    32-cell VLS for 16 SM-2 and 64 ESSM
    8 Harpoon Block 2
    76mm Super Rapid
    2 mk38 mod 2 25mm
    RIM-116 RAM CIWS
    MU-90 torpedo
    MF-STAR AESA radar and Thales SMART-S as secondary radar
    Thales Kinglip hull-mounted sonar and sonar 2087 towed array sonar
    Hangar for 2 AW-159 ASW helicopters

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    1. This frigate is almost similar to the German Sacshen class. However carrying MF-STAR and SMART-S is redundant as they operate in the same band. Also using MF-STAR with SM-2 and ESSM makes little sense as you would need additional illuminating radars in x-band.

      Also a frigate like this would displace around 5200 tons.

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      1. aaaa I see my mistake, I meant Thales SMART-L and since the SM-2 and ESSM’s don’t work with the MF-STAR the MF-STAR should be the APAR

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      2. but admin, Singapore’s Formidables are 3000 tons yet carry a Herakels radar and 32-cell VLS

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      4. well yes admin that is why I expanded it to 4700 tons, to accomodate the double helo hangar and the secondary radar, not that it matters though I just 3d design fantasy frigates for fun

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  46. I’m an enthusiastic reader of military and defense topics, and I have to recognize this is one of the most balanced and objective pages I have found so far, congratulations. I really agree with your selection, in this case about the frigates, I enjoyed a lot.
    It could be interesting if you could present some other evaluations between fighters aircraft. (comparing for example the eurocanards fighters). It also could be interesting if you could describe top ten weapons of Iran, so many things are talked about them, i,e should the F313 Qaher (fighter jet) be considered seriously?

    Best regards and thanks for sharing so excellent defense analysis.

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    1. Thank you. I will keep your suggestions in mind. Many Iranian projects aren’t to be taken seriously. They are making only static models of many weapons now.

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  48. Hi NRP, I would like your opinion about the french La Fayette class frigate, of course it is smaller than all of the top ten you have selected, but since some navies like taiwanese and singapur have choosen it, there must be something good about it. Thank you for your reply.

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    1. The La Fayette is an excellent design. The French use it as a light frigate and it is relatively unarmed. But Taiwan and Singapore recognized the potential of the platform and ordered heavily armed versions of the La Fayette. It’s an excellent frigate.

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    1. Ships which have extremely advanced radars and SAMs with active seekers need fewer missiles to do the same job.

      1 Aster SAM can engage 1 target with an extremely high kill probability. Whereas you will need 2 semi active homing SAMs to engage 1 target with high probability.

      This advanced technology allows the carriage of a smaller number of SAMs and the remaining space can be used for other purposes.

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