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João Coutinho-class corvette

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The João Coutinho-class corvettes were a series of warships built for the Portuguese Navy for service in Portugal's African and Indian colonies. Initially rated as frigates, they were downgraded first to corvettes and then patrol vessels with age. They were designed in Portugal by naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira, but the urgent need of their services in the Portuguese Colonial War meant that the construction of the ships was assigned to foreign shipyards. Six ships were built; the first three ships were built by Blohm & Voss and the remaining three by Empresa Nacional Bazán. The ships were launched in 1970 and 1971. The relative cheap cost of the design led to it being the basis of several other classes in other navies. From 1970 until the end of the conflict in 1975, the corvettes were used for patrol and fire-support missions in Angola, Mozambique, Guinea and Cape Verde. After the African colonies gained their independence, the corvettes were assigned to patrol duties in Portuguese territorial waters.

NRP António Enes, a João Coutinho-class corvette entering the port of Horta
Class overview
NameJoão Coutinho class
BuildersBazán, Cartagena (Spain); Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (West Germany)
Operators Portuguese Navy
Preceded byJoão Belo class
Succeeded byBaptista de Andrade class
Built1968–1971
In commission1970–present
Completed6
Active1
Retired5
General characteristics
TypeFrigate/corvette
Displacement
  • 1,252 t (1,232 long tons) standard
  • 1,401 t (1,379 long tons) full load
Length
  • 84.6 m (277 ft 7 in) oa
  • 81.0 m (265 ft 9 in) pp
Beam10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
Draught3.3 m (10 ft 10 in)
Propulsion2 shaft, 2 OEW Pielstick diesel engines, 7,870 kW (10,560 bhp)
Speed24.4 knots (45.2 km/h; 28.1 mph)
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Troops34 Marines
Complement93
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament

Design and description

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In the 1960s Portugal still retained an empire and used a series of smaller vessels, such as frigates and gunboats to patrol its territorial waters. However in 1961, India invaded and annexed Portuguese colonies on the Indian subcontinent and further unrest in the Portuguese African colonies led to a boom in naval shipbuilding in response.[1] The João Coutinho class were designed in Portugal by naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira[2] and were initially rated as frigates[3][4] measuring 84.6 metres (277 ft 7 in) long overall and 81.0 m (265 ft 9 in) between perpendiculars with a beam of 10.3 m (33 ft 10 in) and a draught of 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in). The ships had a standard displacement of 1,252 tonnes (1,232 long tons) and 1,401 t (1,379 long tons) at full load. The ships were powered by two OEW-Pielstick 12 PC2 2 V400 diesel engines turning two shafts creating 7,870 kilowatts (10,560 bhp). This provided the vessels with a maximum speed of 24.4 knots (45.2 km/h; 28.1 mph). They had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) and 5,900 nmi (10,900 km; 6,800 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph).[3][5]

The João Coutinho class was initially armed with a twin 3-inch (76 mm)/50 calibre Mk 33 dual-purpose gun mount and a twin 40-millimetre (1.6 in)/L70 Bofors gun mount for anti-aircraft defence.[a] The ships also mounted a Mk 10 Hedgehog anti-submarine (ASW) mortar, two Mk 6 depth charge projectors and two Mk 9 depth charge racks. The vessels carried 1,200 rounds of ammunition, 240 Hedgehog projectiles and up to 84 depth charges.[3][4]

The corvettes were equipped with MLA-1B air search radar, a Mk 51 Mod 2 fire-control director for the 40 mm guns, a Mk 63 Mod 21 fire-control system and SPG-34 gunfire control radar for the 3-inch guns. For ASW, the vessels mounted a QCU-2 sonar.[5] By 1987 all ASW equipment was removed and the MLA-1B radar was replaced with a Kelvin Hughes 1002 surface search radar from 1989 to 1991.[5][6] In 1994, the SPG-34 radar and Mk 63 fire control system were removed, forcing the main guns to be controlled manually.[5] The vessel's had an initial complement of 93 including 9 officers and had accommodations for 34 Marines.[3][4] As equipment was removed, the number of personnel on the ships was reduced by 23.[5] By 2009, the class was rated as corvettes[6] and by 2013, patrol vessels.[5]

Since this design was relatively cheap, the João Coutinho class served as the basis for several other designs: the Baptista de Andrade-class corvettes (Portugal),[1] the Descubierta-class corvettes[7] (Spain, Egypt and Morocco), the Espora-class (MEKO 140) corvettes[8] (Argentina) and the D'Estienne d'Orves-class (A-69) avisos[9] (France, Argentina and Turkey).

Construction and service career

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Though the vessels were designed in Portugal, the urgent need of their services in the Portuguese Colonial War meant that the construction of the ships was assigned to foreign shipyards.[2] They were acquired to replace the older corvettes, sloops and gunboats in service with the Portuguese Navy.[3] Three ships were constructed by Bazán at their shipyard in Cartagena, Spain and three by Blohm & Voss at their yard in Hamburg, West Germany.[6] The ships were initially used to defend Portuguese interests in their empire until its collapse in 1975.[3] After that, the vessels were predominantly used for fisheries protection.[5] A mid-1980s refit was cancelled due to lack of funds.[3]

Ships

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Construction data[b]
Pennant number Name Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Status
F471 NRP António Enes Bazán 10 April 1968 16 August 1969 18 June 1971 In active service[10]
F475 NRP João Coutinho Blohm & Voss 24 December 1968[c] 2 May 1969 7 March 1970[d] Decommissioned 2014. Sank at moorings, February 2022. Awaiting scrapping.[11]
F476 NRP Jacinto Cândido 10 February 1969[e] 16 June 1969 10 June 1970[f] Decommissioned 2018, waiting to be scrapped[11]
F477 NRP General Pereira D'Eça 21 April 1969[g] 26 July 1969 10 October 1970 Decommissioned, sunk as artificial reef 2016
F484 NRP Augusto de Castilho Bazán August 1968 5 July 1969 14 November 1970 Decommissioned, scrapped 2011
F485 NRP Honório Barreto July 1968 11 April 1970 15 April 1971 Decommissioned, scrapped 2011

Disposal

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Honório Barreto was decommissioned in 2003 and Augusto de Castilho in 2004.[5] The two ships were purchased by a metal company, RAPLUS, for scrapping in 2011.[12] General Pereira D'Eça was decommissioned in 2014 and sunk off Madeira as an artificial reef in 2016.[13][14] João Coutinho was decommissioned in 2014.[15] In 2018, Jacinto Cândido was decommissioned.[16]

Notes

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  1. ^ L70 describes the gun's calibre and denotes the length of the gun. This means that the length of the gun barrel is 70 times the bore diameter.
  2. ^ Data is from Wertheim[5] and Saunders[6] and Couhat[4] except where noted
  3. ^ Lyon & Chumbley[3] and Couhat[4] state the keel was laid down in September 1968.
  4. ^ Saunders states the ship was commissioned on 28 February 1970.[6]
  5. ^ Lyon & Chumbley[3] and Couhat[4] state the keel was laid down in April 1968.
  6. ^ Saunders states the ship was commissioned on 29 May 1970.[6]
  7. ^ Lyon & Chumbley[3] and Couhat[4] state the keel was laid down in October 1968.

Citations

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  1. ^ a b Lyon & Chumbley 1995, p. 317.
  2. ^ a b Afonso & de Matos Gomes 2000, pp. 378–380.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lyon & Chumbley 1995, p. 319.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Couhat 1986, p. 395.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wertheim 2013, p. 582.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Saunders 2009, p. 632.
  7. ^ Miller, David (2004). The Illustrated Directory of Warships: From 1860 to the Present Day. Greenwich Editions. pp. 248–249. ISBN 0-86288-677-5.
  8. ^ "Reseña Histórica" (in Spanish). Armada Argentina. Archived from the original on 6 February 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  9. ^ "A Corveta Portuguesa dos anos 70". Operacional (in Portuguese). 11 January 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  10. ^ Barreira, Victor [@Defence360] (30 June 2020). "The @MarinhaPT João Coutinho-class corvette NRP António Enes (F471) has just completed an approximately 7-month long repair and maintenance period at the local state-owned shipyard Arsenal do Alfeite" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 October 2021 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ a b "Marinha afundou três navios no último ano e meio". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). 2023-09-08. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  12. ^ Gomes, Joaquim (23 November 2011). "Godinho compra corvetas à Marinha por €1,6 milhões". Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Nova Vida Para Antiga Corveta Portuguesa". Operacional (in Portuguese). 16 December 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  14. ^ Harrison, William (9 December 2016). "Best Purpose-Sunk Wrecks of 2016". Sport Diver. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  15. ^ "Portugal retira a corveta "João Coutinho"". defensa.com (in Portuguese). 9 September 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  16. ^ Galante, Alexandre (19 November 2018). "Marinha Portuguesa aposenta corveta NRP Jacinto Cândido". naval.com.br (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 October 2021.

References

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  • Afonso, Aniceto; de Matos Gomes, Carlos (2000). Guerra Colonial (in Portuguese). Editorial Noticias. ISBN 972-46-1192-2.
  • Couhat, Jean Labayle, ed. (1986). Combat Fleets of the World 1986/87. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85368-860-5.
  • Lyon, Hugh & Chumbley, Stephen (1995). "Portugal". In Chumbley, Stephen (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 317–322. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
  • Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009–2010 (112th ed.). Alexandria, Virginia: Jane's Information Group Inc. ISBN 978-0-7106-2888-6.
  • Wertheim, Eric, ed. (2013). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World (16th ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9-7-815911-4954-5.
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