Descubierta-class

Summary

Description

The Descubierta-class corvettes are a series of naval ships developed for the Spanish Navy in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were designed collaboratively by the Spanish Navy and the German company, Blohm & Voss. The design was based on the João Coutinho-class of corvettes, created originally in the late 1960s for the Portuguese Navy by the naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira. A proposal existed for a larger design version, however, the Spanish Navy opted to build the American Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates under licence instead.

The Descubierta-class ships were not only used by the Spanish Navy, but also sold to the Egyptian and Moroccan Navy. However, the Moroccan vessel is unique in its armament: it is furnished with Exocet missiles, rather than the Harpoon missiles usually found on these ships.

The operational history of the Descubierta-class ships is varied. The Descubierta, Diana, Infanta Elena, Infanta Cristina, Cazadora and Vencedora have each been decommissioned at different points, marking the end of their active service. These corvettes played significant roles within the naval forces of their operating nations over the course of their careers in service.

The Descubierta-class corvettes, therefore, have a history rooted in international cooperation in design and use. Their construction represents a shared endeavor between Germany, Portugal, and Spain, with the final products also serving the naval forces of Egypt and Morocco.

Technical specifications

Photo of Descubierta class