Her machinery was a COmbined Diesel OR Gas (CODOG) system configuration that saw a single Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbine of 28,000 horsepower coupled with 2 x Cockerill 240 CO diesels outputting at 6,000 horsepower. This arrangement drove power to two shafts with the gas turbine coming into play for high speed dashes while the diesels drove the vessel during normal cruise functions. Speeds could reach 28 knots and operational range was out to 5,190 miles.
Due to the multirole nature of frigate warships in modern navies, Wielingen was given an armament collection to help counter most any at-sea threat. The armament suite was led by 2 x MM-38 "Exocet" Anti-Ship (AS) twin missile launchers for surface targets and an Mk 29 RIM-7P"Sea Sparrow" Anti-Aircraft (AA) octuple missile launcher for inbound aerial targets. Over the forecastle was a conventional naval artillery gun - a 100mm (3.9") Creusot-Loire Mod 68 Dual-Purpose (DP) deck gun system - in a traversing turret. Anti-Submarine actions were handled by a single 375mm Cruesot-Loire Anti-Submarine-ROCket (ASROC) launcher firing Swedish Bofors-made rockets. Additional firepower against undersea threats was managed through 2 x 533mm (21") torpedo launchers for the ten ECAN L5 torpedoes carried. At one point, the 30mm "Goalkeeper" Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) was to figure into the armament suite of Wielingen-class but this initiative was ultimately abandoned.
To accomplish the many roles assigned to it, Wielingen carried a collection of sensors and processing systems which included a Hollandse Signaal Apparaten DA-05 surface search radar, a Hollandse Signaal Apparaten WM-25 fire control radar, a Vigy 105 series optronic director, the Kelvin-Hugues "Scout" navigation radar, the SEWACO IV tactical data system, the Argos 900 ESM, a pair of MK 36 SRBOC chaff launching devices, the SLQ-25 series "Nixie" Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) decoy suite, and the AN/SQS-510 model search/attack sonar fitted to the bow. These systems, combined with a well-trained and experienced crew along with the vessel's standard armament, made the Wielingen and her class formidable warships considering their relatively compact sizes.
Wielingen led a long and healthy service life for the Belgian Navy, spanning from 1976 to 2007. With the end of the Cold War and the end of the Soviet Union as the primary European threat, the vessel was decommissioned in 2006 and sold off to Bulgaria in 2008 where she has continued her career as the "Verni" ("Faithful"). Two of her sister ships were given the same fate - all transitioned via sale to the Bulgarian Navy. Only Westhinder was scrapped (in 1993).
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