MEKO 140

The MEKO 140 is a frigate/corvette design by the German Blohm + Voss shipyard as part of the MEKO family of vessels. The MEKO 140 is a development of the Portuguese Navy's João Coutinho-class corvettes designed by the Portuguese naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira in the late 1960s – three ships of which were built Blohm + Voss in 1970, as an outsourcing.

ARA Robinson
Class overview
Builders	AFNE "Río Santiago"
Operators	Argentine Navy
Subclasses	Espora class
In commission	1985–present
Completed	6
Active	6
General characteristics
Type	Frigate/corvette
Displacement	1,790 tons
Length	91.2 m (299 ft 3 in)
Beam	11.1 m (36 ft 5 in)
Draught	4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Propulsion	2 Diesel engines 15,210 kW (20,400 shp) 2 shafts/propellers
Speed	27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement	100
Armament	4 × Exocet anti-ship missiles 1 × 76 mm dual-purpose gun 4 × 40 mm anti-aircraft guns 2 × .50 cal machine guns 6 × 324 mm torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried	1 helicopter

Concept and development

MEKO is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics, and other equipment, aiming at ease of maintenance and cost reduction. Vessels of similar classes can use different weapons systems, as required by the customer. The MEKO 140 was designed in the late 1970s, and was chosen by the Argentine Navy to complement the MEKO 360 destroyers.

Variants

Six vessels of the MEKO 140 A16 variant were constructed in Argentina by the Río Santiago Shipyards (AFNE) near La Plata for the Argentine Navy. They are locally named as the Espora class and currently serve in the High Seas Fleet ("Flota de Mar").

Although considered by its designers to be frigates, the Espora-class vessels have been classed in Argentina as corvettes.

External links

• Argentine Navy (ARA) official site – class specifications & pictures (in Spanish)
• Description of MEKO 140 concept and existing ships