The MEKO-200AN vessel was spotted by local photographer Hervé Dermoune on 25 September 2023.
Contacted by Naval News, the French Navy said that frigate El Moudamir will take part in exercise RAIS HAMIDOU. It is a Franco-Algerian operational cooperation exercise which takes place from September 25 to October 5.
“This operational cooperation activity, organized alternately on each side of the Mediterranean, helps strengthen the level of cooperation and mutual knowledge between the navies of the two countries which share a common interest in the stability of this area and can, if necessary, be required to operate jointly in the event of a crisis situation at sea (anti-pollution fight, drug trafficking, search and rescue, maritime security, maritime surveillance)” a French Navy spokesperson said.
This year, French units participating in the exercise include first ship-in-class LaFayette (and its helicopter), a Falcon 50 maritime surveillance aircraft, and a staff element from the French Mediterranean Command (CECMED).
About Erradii-class (MEKO-200AN) frigates
The MEKO A-200AN of the Algerian Navy are powerful surface combatants. The design is based on the MEKO family of warships, which are modular and adaptable vessels designed by the German shipbuilding company Blohm+Voss (now part of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems). These frigates are known for their flexibility in design, allowing different navies to customize them to meet their specific requirements.
There are two ships in the class: Erradii (910) commissioned in April 2016 and El Moudamir (911) commissioned in May 2017.
The “A-200AN” designation indicates that this particular variant of the MEKO A-200 frigate was built for the Algerian Navy (“AN” stands for Algerian Navy). These frigates typically have capabilities for anti-submarine warfare, anti-air warfare, and anti-surface warfare.
The Erradii-class frigates are 121 meters long, have a beam of 16.4 meters and a draft of 4.4 meters. The 3700-ton frigates are powered by a CODAG (combined gas turbine and diesel) propulsion system, which includes a GE LM2500 gas turbine and two MTU 16V 1163 TB93 diesel engines that give the ship a top speed of 28 knots.
The frigates are heavily armed with an impressive 16 Saab RBS15 Mk 3 missiles (4×4 launchers) and a 32-cell VLS (Vertical Launching System) with Umkhonto- IR Block 2 surface-to-air missiles. The main gun is the 127 mm Leonardo naval gun capable of firing Vulcano extended range guided munitions. The frigates have also have 2×3 torpedo tubes firing MU90 lightweight torpedoes.
The sensor suite includes the Saab Sea Giraffe AMB medium-range 3D radar surveillance system, two Saab CEROS 200 optronic directors, and three Sperry Bridgemasters. For anti-submarine warfare, the Erradii-class frigates are equipped with a Thales Kingklip/UMS 4132 hull-mounted sonar.
The ship has a heli-deck and a hangar to accommodate a Super Lynx helicopter (itself fitted with Thales FLASH dipping sonar).
Tayfun Ozberk contributed to this story.
