Class of American-built corvettes of the Saudi Navy
 Saudi Arabian missile corvette Badr (612) during integration exercise in the Persian Gulf |
| Class overview |
|---|
| Name | Badr class |
| Builders | Tacoma Boatbuilding Company, Tacoma, Washington, United States |
| Operators |  Royal Saudi Navy |
| In commission | 1981–present |
| Building | 4 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Active | 4 |
| General characteristics |
|---|
| Type | Corvette |
| Displacement | 1,038 tons |
| Length | 245 ft (75 m) |
| Beam | 31 ft 6 in (9.60 m) |
| Draught | 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) |
| Installed power | 1 GE LM-2500 gas turbine |
| Propulsion | 2 MTU 12V652 TB91 diesels |
| Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Range | 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Complement | 75 |
Sensors and
processing systems |
- Radars
- Lockheed SPS-40B (Air search)
- ISC Cardion SPS-55 (surface search)
- Sperry Mk 92 (fire control)
- Sonar
|
Electronic warfare
& decoys | SQ-32(V)1 ESM |
| Armament | |
The Badr class is a class of corvette built by the United States and operated by the Saudi Navy. The class has been relegated to a coastal defence role following the modernisation of the Saudi fleet. There are four vessels in service; Badr, Al Yarmook, Hitteen and Tabuk.
Design
In January 1972, Saudi Arabia signed an agreement with the United States to set up a 10-year programme to greatly enlarge the Saudi Navy, previously a small coastal patrol force. The programme envisaged the construction in the United States of a series of corvettes as well as other warships such as minesweepers and amphibious warfare ships.[1][2] As part of this programme, on 30 August 1977, an order was placed with the Tacoma Boatbuilding Company of Tacoma, Washington for 4 missile-armed corvettes, with delivery expected between 1980 and 1981.[2][3]
The four ships, at first known by the US-Navy style designation of "PCG", and later as the Badr-class, are 74.68 metres (245 ft 0 in) long overall, with a beam of 9.60 metres (31 ft 6 in) and a draught of 2.59 metres (8 ft 6 in).[4] Displacement was intended as 720 long tons (730 t),[2] but the ships were completed significantly overweight, and were recorded as displacing 903 long tons (917 t) standard and 1,038 long tons (1,055 t) full load in 1995.[3] They are powered by one General Electric LM2500 gas turbine rated at 23,000 shaft horsepower (17,000 kW) and two MTU 12V625 TB91 diesel engines (rated at a total of 3,058 brake horsepower (2,280 kW)) in a Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) arrangement, driving two controllable pitch propellers. This gives a maximum speed of 30 knots (35 mph; 56 km/h) when using the gas turbine and 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h) on diesel. The ships have a range of 4,000 nautical miles (4,600 mi; 7,400 km) at 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h).[4]
Principal anti-ship armament consists of eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles, with a gun armament of a single OTO Melara 76 mm gun forward, one Vulcan Phalanx close-in weapon system (CIWS) aft, two Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, an 81 mm mortar, and two 40 mm Mk 19 grenade launchers. Anti-submarine armament consisted of two triple Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes for Mark 46 torpedoes. SPS-40B air search radar and SPS-55 navigation/surface search radars are carried, while a Mark 92 fire control radar is fitted above the ship's bridges. SQS-56 hull-mounted sonar is carried to direct the ships' torpedo tubes.[4]
