MEKO 140
Encyclopedia
The MEKO 140 is a frigate
design by the German Blohm + Voss
shipyard as part of the MEKO
family of vessels.
The MEKO 140 was designed in the late 1970s, and was chosen by the Argentine Navy to complement the MEKO 360
destroyers.
by the Río Santiago Shipyards (AFNE) near La Plata
for the Argentine Navy
. They are locally named as the Espora class
and currently serve in the High Seas Fleet (“Flota de Mar”).
Although considered by its designers to be frigates, the Espora class vessels have been classed in Argentina as corvette
s.
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
design by the German Blohm + Voss
Blohm + Voss
Blohm + Voss , is a German shipbuilding and engineering works. It is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; there were plans to sell 80% of Blohm + Voss to Abu Dhabi Mar Group, but talks collapsed in July 2011.-History:It was founded on April 5, 1877, by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss as a...
shipyard as part of the MEKO
MEKO
The MEKO family of warships was developed by the German company Blohm + Voss.MEKO is a registered trademark. The portmanteau stands for "Mehrzweck-Kombination" . It is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of...
family of vessels.
Concept and development
MEKO is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of maintenance and cost reduction. Vessels of similar classes can use different weapons systems, as required by the customer.The MEKO 140 was designed in the late 1970s, and was chosen by the Argentine Navy to complement the MEKO 360
MEKO 360
The MEKO 360 is a class of five destroyers built in Germany for the Argentine and Nigerian Navies. The 360 was the first ship of the MEKO family of vessels built by Blohm und Voss.-Variants:...
destroyers.
Variants
Six vessels of the MEKO 140 A16 variant were constructed in ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
by the Río Santiago Shipyards (AFNE) near La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
for the Argentine Navy
Argentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
. They are locally named as the Espora class
Espora class frigate
The Espora class corvettes were all commissioned between 1985 and 2004 for the Argentine Navy, the first four in 1985-1990 and the last two in 2001-2004....
and currently serve in the High Seas Fleet (“Flota de Mar”).
Although considered by its designers to be frigates, the Espora class vessels have been classed in Argentina as corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s.