Nueva Esparta-class destroyer

Last updated

Nueva Esparta Class Destroyer.jpg
Aragua
Class overview
NameNueva Esparta class
Builders Vickers Armstrongs Shipyards, Barrow-in-Furness
OperatorsFlag of Venezuela (state).svg  Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela
Built1951-1956
In commission1953-1978
Planned3
Completed3
Retired3
General characteristics
Type Destroyer
Displacement
  • Standard: 2,600 tons
  • Full load: 3,670 tons
Length402 ft (123 m)
Beam43 ft (13 m)
Draught19 ft (5.8 m)
Installed power
  • 2 Foster Wheeler boilers (650 psi, 850 °F)
  • 50,000  shp (37,000 kW)
PropulsionParsons steam turbines
Speed34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement18 officers and 236 crew members
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Radar Type 293Q target indication
  • Radar Type 291 air warning
  • Radar Type 274 navigation
  • Radar Type 275 fire control on director Mk.VI
  • Radar Type 262 fire control on director CRBF and STAAG Mk.II
Armament

The Nueva Esparta-class destroyers were a class of destroyers used by the navy of Venezuela. The lead ship was named after Nueva Esparta (Spanish for "New Sparta"), one of the states of Venezuela.

Contents

These ships were ordered in 1950, and were built by the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyards in Barrow-in-Furness between 1951 and 1954.

History

The ships were designed by Vickers-Armstrong shipyards in the 1950s for the Venezuela naval forces. The design has been identified as a derivative of the Batch 3 Battle-class destroyers built for the United Kingdom and Australia, according to information released by the International Naval Research Organization and several independent researchers in 2006. They were to form part of a fleet that included a 25,000 ton aircraft carrier and a Tiger-class cruiser.

The fleet arrangement for 30/04/1949 covers:

The names assigned to these ships were associated with states in Venezuela.

Ships

Two Nueva Esparta-class destroyers during the UNITAS X exercise in 1969. Venezuelan destroyer ARV Zulia (D-21) underway in 1969.jpg
Two Nueva Esparta-class destroyers during the UNITAS X exercise in 1969.
CodeNameShipyard ID.Keel dateLaunch dateCommissionedRepairWeapons refitMajor maintStatusDecommissionedLife cycle
D11 Nueva Esparta 100924/07/195119/11/195208/12/1953195919601968/69Sunk197825,08
D21 Zulia 101024/07/195129/06/195314/02/195619591960N/AFloating museum - sunk198329,32
D31 Aragua 103629/06/195327/01/195514/02/19561959N/AN/ASunk197519,89

Sensors and EW

ModelMax rangeAbilitiesNotes
FH-4500Surface and aerial search, bearing, and classification dataPassive RWR/ESM/SIGINT
Tipo 1621Search, bearing, and range dataActive sonar
Type 1703Search, bearing & range dataActive sonar
Type 1773Search, bearing & range dataActive/passive radar
Type 275 fc16Surface & aerial search in surface, bearing and classification, range & altitude dataRadar
Type 29345Surface & aerial search in surface, bearing and range data, IFFRadar
Type 97425Surface & aerial search in surface, bearing and range dataRadar

Armament

MountRate of FireCapacityWeapons per mount
8 x twin mounting 40mm L/60 Bofors 12080016 x 40mm/60 twin double Bofors (max 16)
2 x Mark 4 Squid 18033 x MK4 Squid (max 3)
3 x 4.5 inch (113 mm) L/45 Vickers Mark V in BD Mark IV twin mounting 189003 x 114mm/45 Vickers MK IV Twin (max 6)

Magazines

MagazinesRate of FireArmorCapacityStores
4.5 in (114 mm)18Light900900
MK4 Squid15None2020
40mm120None800800
NameTypeRangeChannelsDescription
HFRadio30010HF secure
VHFRadio10010VHF secure
UHFRadio10010UHF secure
HFRadio30010HF plain
VHFRadio10010VHF plain
UHFRadio10010UHF plain

Sensor signatures

Signature TypeFrontSideRear
Passive sonar959697
Active sonar162717
Visual110151110
IR—126718
Radar7114071

Service

One ship was assigned to each destroyer division along with two Almirante Clemente-class destroyers; Nueva Esparta went to the first division, Zulia to the second and Aragua to the third.

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References

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