1982 KARLSRUHE. One of the eight Type 122 frigates, based on the Dutch
Kortenaer class, commissioned into the German Navy in the 1980s.
THE GERMAN TYPE 122 FRIGATES
The choice for a new frigate for the German Navy fell on the Dutch Kortenaer, with modified superstructure and internal arrangements and a CODOG powerplant US-supplied General Electric LM 2500 gas turbines and home-produced MTU diesels in place of the pure gas turbine arrangement of Rolls-Royce Olympus and Tyne engines of the originals. Karlsruhe was the last ship of an initial batch of six, ordered in November 1977 (two more followed, eight years later), constructed, at Howaldtswerke in Kiel. She was laid down on 10 March 1981, launched on 8 January 1982 and completed on 19 April 1984.
THE KARLSRUHES ARMAMENT
The types main armament consisted of missiles augmented by an 010- Melara 76mm (3m) dual-purpose gun. The Mk 29 launcher for eight Sea Sparrow missiles was situated atop the forward deckhouse, while the twin Harpoon launchers were at main deck level abaft the forward superstructure, forward of the mast and the large funnel necessitated by the gas turbines. Four tubes for 12.75in (324mm) Mk 32 AS torpedoes were located in the after superstructure, which also contained the hangar for two helicopters. A 1 990s re-fit saw the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) point-defence system, utilising RIM-116A missiles, added, the twin launchers being located atop the hangar.
TECHNICAL DATA
Type Guided-missile frigate
Machinery: 2-shaft CODOG; 2 EM 2500 gas turbines delivering a total of 50,000shp plus 2 MTU diesels delivering a total of 10,400bhp
Dimensions (overall): Length, 128m (440ft); beam, 14.6m (47.8ft)
Displacement: 3700t standard; 3800t deep load
Draught: 6m (19.75ft)
Complement: 189
Speed: 30 knots (55.6km/h)
