ARA Robinson (P-45)

Last updated
P45ARARobinson.jpg
The corvette ARA Robinson
History
Flag of Argentina.svgArgentina
NameRobinson
NamesakeCarlos Robinson
Builder Río Santiago Shipyard
Laid down1 March 1983
Launched25 November 1984
Commissioned28 August 2000
Homeport Puerto Belgrano
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class and type MEKO 140A16 Espora-class corvette
Displacement1,560 tons (1,790 tons full load) [1]
Length91.2 m (299 ft 3 in) [1]
Beam11.0 m (36 ft 1 in) [1]
Draught3.33 m (10 ft 11 in) [1] (hull)
Installed power22,600 bhp (16.9 MW) [1]
Propulsion2 × SEMT Pielstick 16 PC 2-5 V400 diesels, 2 × 5-blade props [1]
Speed27 knots (50 km/h) [1]
Range4,000 nautical miles (7,410 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h) [1]
Complement11 officers, 46 petty officers, 36 enlisted [1]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Thales DA-05/2 air/surface search
  • Thales WM-28, LIROD fire control
  • Consilium Selesmar NavBat
  • Atlas AQS-1 hull MF sonar [1]
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • Decca RDC-2ABC
  • Decca RCM-2 jammer
  • 2 × Matra Dagaie decoys [1]
Armament
Aircraft carried1 × Eurocopter Fennec
Aviation facilitiesHelideck and telescoping hangar

ARA Robinson (P-45) is the fifth ship of the MEKO 140A16 Espora class of six corvettes built for the Argentine Navy. The ship is the second ship to bear the name of British Captain Carlos Robinson, who fought in the Argentine Navy during the Cisplatine War and died commanding a squadron of gunboats during the Battle of La Colonia.

Contents

Origin

Robinson and her sister ships were part of the 1974 Naval Constructions National Plan, an initiative by the Argentine Navy to replace old World War II-vintage ships with more advanced warships. The original plan called for six MEKO 360H2 destroyers, four of them to be built in Argentina, but the plan was later modified to include four MEKO destroyers and six corvettes for anti-surface warfare and patrol operations.

Construction

Robinson was constructed at the Río Santiago Shipyard of the Astilleros y Fábricas Navales del Estado (State Shipyards and Naval Factories) state corporation. Her keel was laid down on 1 March 1983 and was launched on 25 November 1984. Fitting out of Robinson and her sister ship Gómez Roca was suspended in 1992, briefly resumed in July 1994 and finally started again on 18 July 1997. [1] Following the resumption of construction, the ship was delivered to the Navy in 2000 and commissioned in 2000.

As part of the second batch of the class, Robinson is fitted with a telescopic hangar. [1] All members of the class have the Thales DAISY combat system, but Robinson is the only one to have an indigenous command system as well. [1] Along with Gómez Roca she has improved automation, communication and electronic systems compared to earlier members of the class. [1]

Service history

Following her commissioning Robinson participated in several naval exercises and conducted fishery patrol duties in the Argentine exclusive economic zone. She also accompanied the flagship of Irish Naval Service,  Eithne, during her 2006 visit to Argentina. Robinson is homeported at Puerto Belgrano Naval Base and is part of the Navy's 2nd Corvette Division with her five sister ships.

In March 2021, the ship began a general maintenance refit at the Tandanor shipyard. [2] In July 2021 the ARA Robinson entered service again. [3] In September she participated in a sea exercise also involving her sister ships Espora, Spiro and Gómez Roca, along with the destroyer Sarandí. [4] In 2022, she participated in an exercise off the coast of Mar del Plata with Sarandí, Espora, the corvette Rosales and the transport ship Canal Beagle. [5] In April 2024, the corvette was reportedly engaged in sea training. [6]

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ARA <i>Sarandí</i> (D-13)

ARA Sarandí is the fourth and last ship of the MEKO 360H2 series of destroyers built for the Argentine Navy. The ship is also the fourth ship in the Argentine Navy to bear that name. Sarandí is the name of a victory of the Argentine army during the Cisplatine War.

ARA <i>Espora</i> (P-41) Espora-class corvette of the Argentine Navy

ARA Espora (P-41) is the lead ship of the MEKO 140A16 Espora class of six corvettes built for the Argentine Navy. Commissioned in 1985, she is used for fishery patrol. She is homeported at Puerto Belgrano Naval Base and is part of the Navy's 2nd Corvette Division with her five sister ships. The ship is the sixth ship to bear the name of Colonel (Navy) Tomás Espora, who fought in the Argentine Navy during the Cisplatine War. Generator failure left her stranded in South Africa for 73 days in late 2012.

ARA <i>Rosales</i> (P-42) Espora-class corvette of the Argentine Navy

ARA Rosales (P-42) is the second ship of the MEKO 140A16 Espora class of six corvettes built for the Argentine Navy. The ship is the fourth ship to bear the name of Colonel (Navy) Leonardo Rosales, who fought in the Argentine Navy during Argentina's war of independence and the Cisplatine War.

ARA <i>Spiro</i> (P-43) Espora-class corvette of the Argentine Navy

ARA Spiro (P-43) is the third ship of the MEKO 140A16 Espora class of six corvettes built for the Argentine Navy. The ship is the second ship to bear the name of the Greek-born Captain Samuel Spiro, who fought during the Argentine War of Independence and blew himself up with his ship rather than surrender to the Spanish forces following the battle of Arroyo de la China, in 1814.

ARA <i>Parker</i> (P-44) Espora-class corvette of the Argentine Navy

ARA Parker (P-44) is the fourth ship of the MEKO 140A16 Espora class of six corvettes built for the Argentine Navy. The ship is the second ship to bear the name of Captain Enrique Guillermo Parker, who fought in the Argentine Navy as its second-in-command during the Cisplatine War.

ARA <i>Gómez Roca</i> Espora-class corvette of the Argentine Navy

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ARA Piedrabuena (P-52) is the second ship of Argentinian Gowind-class offshore patrol vessel of the Argentinian Navy.

ARA <i>Almirante Storni</i> (P-53) Bouchard-class offshore patrol vessel of the Argentinian Navy

ARA Almirante Storni (P-53) is the third Gowind-class offshore patrol vessel constructed for the Argentinian Navy.

ARA <i>Bartolomé Cordero</i> Bouchard-class offshore patrol vessel of the Argentinian Navy

ARA Almirante Bartolomé Cordero (P-54) is the fourth and final Gowind-class offshore patrol vessel constructed for the Argentinian Navy.

ARA <i>Intrépida</i> (P-85) Intrépida-class fast attack craft of the Argentine Navy

ARA Intrépida(P-85) is the lead ship of the Intrépida-class fast attack craft of the Argentine Navy. The ship is the lead ship of its class and has a twin sister ship ARA Indómita (P-86). She is the second ship of the Argentina Navy to bear the name Intrépida.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Wertheim, Eric (2007). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems (15 ed.). Naval Institute Press. p. 9. ISBN   9781591149552.
  2. "La corbeta multipropósito Clase Meko 140, P-45 ARA Robinson de la Armada Argentina en mantenimentio mayor" [The multipurpose corvette Meko 140 Class, P-45 ARA Robinson of the Argentine Navy in major maintenance]. defensa.com (in Spanish). 23 March 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-03-23. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  3. "Ceremonia de entrega de la corbeta ARA Robinson reparada por TANDANOR" [Ceremony of delivery of the corvette ARA Robinson repaired by TANDANOR]. zona-militar.com (in Spanish). 6 July 2021.
  4. "La Armada Argentina sale de maniobras". defensa.com (in Spanish). 2 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-09-03. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  5. "Taiana supervisó un ejercicio de la flota de mar frente a la costa" [Taiana oversaw a sea fleet exercise off the coast]. Télam (in Spanish). 15 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  6. "La corbeta ARA "Robinson" se adiestró en el mar". Argentina.gob.ar (in Spanish). 16 April 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.

Bibliography