Bulgarian frigate Verni

Verni (Bulgarian: Верни, lit. 'Faithful') is a Wielingen-class frigate of the Bulgarian Navy. She was originally commissioned as Wielingen in the Belgian Navy.

History
Belgium
Name	Wielingen
Builder	Boelwerf, Temse
Laid down	5 March 1974
Launched	30 March 1976
Christened	20 January 1978
Homeport	Zeebrugge Naval Base
Motto	"Fit via Vi"
Fate	Sold to Bulgaria in February 2009
Bulgaria
Name	Verni
Acquired	February 2009
Status	In service
General characteristics
Class and type	Wielingen-class frigate
Displacement	2,200 tonnes
Length	106.38 m (349.0 ft)
Beam	12.30 m (40.4 ft)
Draught	5.60 m (18.4 ft)
Propulsion	Combined diesel or gas turbine 2 × ABC type DZC diesel engines providing 4,200 hp (3,100 kW) each 1 × Rolls-Royce Olympus T M - 3 B gasturbine providing 27.575 hp 2 inverted screws with variable pitch
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h)
Range	6,000 mi (9,700 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h)
Complement	14 officers, 71 NCOs and 74 sailors
Armament	1 100 mm Creusot-Loire automatic cannon 1 RIM-7 Sea Sparrow launcher with 8 missiles 1 MM-38 Exocet launcher with 4 missiles 1 375mm Bofors depth charge launcher 2 Ecan Type L5 torpedo tubes with 10 torpedoes

Construction and career

Wielingen was launched on 30 March 1976 at the Boelwerf in Temse, and christened by Queen Fabiola of Belgium, on 20 January 1978. The patronage of the Wielingen was accepted by the city of Malmedy. Wielingen was the first ship in the Wielingen class, and had the pennant number F910.

The ship was sold to the Bulgarian Navy and left the Zeebrugge Naval Base in February 2009 under the Bulgarian flag. She was renamed Verni, with the new pennant number 42.

Verni in the Black Sea, 8 July 2015.