Osprey 55-class gunboat

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20080702-Faliron P-19 HS Navmachos.jpg
Osprey 55-class gunboat P-19 HS Navmachos at Faliron Bay, Greece.
Class overview
Builders
  • Hellenic Shipyards, Scarmanga (Greek ships)
  • Danyard A/S, Frederikshaven, Denmark
Operators
Built1986–1990
Completed7
Active7
General characteristics Armatolos class (after re-arming)[1]
TypePatrol boat
Displacement555 long tons (564 t) full load
Length54.8 m (179 ft 9 in)
Beam10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)
Draught2.6 m (8 ft 6 in)
Propulsion
  • 2× MTU 16V 1163 TB63 diesels
  • 10,000 hp (7,500 kW)
  • 2 shafts
Speed25 kn (29 mph; 46 km/h)
Range
  • 500 mi (430 nmi; 800 km) at 25 kn (29 mph; 46 km/h)
  • 2,800 mi (2,400 nmi; 4,500 km) at 12 kn (14 mph; 22 km/h)
Troops25
Complement36
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Thomson-CSF Triton Surface search radar
  • Selenia RTNX fire control radar
Electronic warfare
& decoys		Thomson-CSF DR 2000S ESM
Armament

The Osprey 55-class gunboat is a Danish-designed class of naval ship currently in service in the Hellenic Navy and Royal Moroccan Navy. Two ships were ordered by Greece in March 1988 and built by Hellenic Shipyards. The first one was laid down on 8 May 1989 and launched on 19 December 1989. The second ship was laid down on 9 November 1989 and launched on 16 May 1990. Armament is of modular design and therefore can be changed. 76-millimetre (3 in) guns replaced the Bofors 40 mm (1.6 in) guns in 1995, after being taken from decommissioned Gearing-class destroyers. Options on more of the class were shelved in favour of the slightly larger HSY-55 class.

Four other ships were ordered by the Royal Moroccan Navy all received between 1987 and 1990.[2] Built in Frederikshavn, Denmark, they were only armed with one Bofors 40 mm and two Oerlikon 20 mm cannon.[3] El Lahiq is equipped with a cartographic sonar and North American navigation systems for hydrographic research.[4]

Incidents at sea[]

On 4 May 2018 a Turkish-flagged cargo ship named Karmate (IMO: 8135461, MMSI: 271002030)[5] collided with HS Armatolos P-18 off the coast of the island of Lesbos, while the gunboat was participating in a NATO mission (called Aegean Activity for controlling migrant flows into the Aegean) in the Aegean Sea.[6][7][8] According to available information, before the collision the captain of the gunboat sounded warning horns and sent repeated radio messages but there was no response from the Turkish ship while the Turkish ship violated maritime safety rules (like giving priority to a military vessel). The damage to the Greek gunboat was very small according to the available information from the Greek minister of defence.

Ships[]

Pennant
number 		Name Navy Builder Launched Commissioned Status
Greece
P 18 Armatolos[9]  Hellenic Navy Hellenic Shipyards Co. 19 December 1989[1] 27 March 1990 In service (2020)[1]
P 19 Navmachos[10]  Hellenic Navy Hellenic Shipyards Co. 16 May 1990[1] 15 July 1990 In service (2020) [1]
Morocco
308 El Lahiq  Royal Moroccan Navy Danyard A/S Frederickhaven July 1987 11 November 1987 In service (2018)
309 El Tawfiq  Royal Moroccan Navy Danyard A/S Frederickhaven October 1987 31 January 1988 In service (2018)
316 El Hamiss  Royal Moroccan Navy Danyard A/S Frederickhaven April 1990 9 August 1990 In service (2018)
317 El Karib  Royal Moroccan Navy Danyard A/S Frederickhaven July 1990 23 September 1990 In service (2018)
Senegal
Without number Fouta  Senegal Navy Danyard A/S Frederickhaven March 1987 1 June 1987 In service (2018)

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Saunders 2002, p. 282.
  2. ^ "El Lahiq Osprey-55 class patrol vessel Moroccan Navy".
  3. ^ Saunders 2002, p. 471.
  4. ^ "Eugenio´s Warships - 308 El Lahiq".
  5. ^ Vessel details for KARMATE, marrinetraffic.com
  6. ^ Turkish cargo vessel collides with Greek warship, article in thetimes.co.uk (04/05/2018)
  7. ^ pTurkish trading vessel collides with Greek navy patrol boat, ekatimerini.com (04/05/2018)
  8. ^ Turkish Cargo Ship, Greek Warship Collide in Aegean, nytimes.com (04/05/2018)
  9. ^ Ship's characteristics, Hellenic Navy official website
  10. ^ Ship's characteristics, Hellenic Navy official website

Sources[]

  • Baker, A.D. (1998). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1998–1999. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-111-4.
  • Saunders, Stephen (2002). Jane's Fighting Ships 2002–2003. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0710624328.
  • Hellenic Navy website
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