Type 22 frigates served the British Royal Navy into 2011 at which point the class of fourteen-strong, built across three batches, was succeeded by the Type 23 design. Surviving ships were then sold off to the navies of Brazil, Chile, and Romania to continue their ocean-going careers under different flags. Romania acquired two of the class, HMS London (F95) and HMS Coventry (F98). Coventry, acquired in 2003, was renamed Regele Ferdinand (F221) and formally commissioned on September 9th, 2004. It remains in active service today (2021) as the fleet's flagship.
The warship has an overall (bow-to-stern) length of 486 feet, a beam of 49 feet, and a draught of 21 feet. Displacing 5,300 tons, the vessel is powered through 4 x Rolls-Royce gas turbines driving the warship to speeds of 30 knots (cruising is typically done at 18 knots). Range is out to 4,500 nautical miles (5,200 miles) and aboard is a complement of 250 personnel. Armament consists of 1 x 76mm /62 caliber OTO-Melara Super-Rapid turreted deck gun.
The ship carries a single IAR-330 Puma Naval helicopter launched and retrieved from the stern helipad. Hangar facilities are provided at the aft-end of the hull superstructure.
The vessel's profile sees a stepped hull approach with the turreted deck gun over the forcastle and the bridge section immediately aft. Two main masts are present with the low-profile smoke funnels at midships. The aft superstructure section is integrated to the main section, offering a completely unbroken hull line from turret-aft to the helipad.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Offshore Bombardment
Offshore bombardment / attack of surface targets / areas primarily through onboard ballistic weaponry.
✓Land-Attack
Offshore strike of surface targets primarily through onboard missile / rocket weaponry.
✓Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.
✓Airspace Denial / Deterrence
Neutralization or deterrence of airborne elements through onboard ballistic of missile weaponry.
✓Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.
OVER-THE-HORIZON
An Over-the-Horizon operational capability is granted to the vessel, typically through launched fixed-wing / rotary-wing aircraft.
Length
481.0 ft 146.61 m
Beam
49.0 ft 14.94 m
Draught
21.0 ft 6.40 m
Displacement
5,300 tons
Installed Power:
COGOG (COmbined Gas-Or-Gas): 2 x Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines developing 54,000 horsepower (dashing) with 2 x Rolls-Royce Tyne RM1C gas turbines developing 9,700 horsepower (cruising) driving 2 x Shafts astern.
Surface Speed
30.0 kts (34.5 mph)
Range
4,519 nm (5,200 mi | 8,369 km)
kts = knots | mph = miles-per-hour | nm = nautical miles | mi = miles | km = kilometers
1 kts = 1.15 mph | 1 nm = 1.15 mi | 1 nm = 1.85 km
1 x 76mm /62 caliber OTO-Melara Super-Rapid turreted deck gun.
Supported Types
(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)
1 x IAR-330 Puma Naval helicopter launched, retrieved, and maintained from the stern-based helipad.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective naval campaigns / operations / periods.
Images Gallery
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Image from the U.S. Department of Defense DVIDS imagery database; Public Release.
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Romania
