Greek frigate Hydra

Hydra (F-452) (Greek Φ/Γ Ύδρα) is the lead ship of the Greek Hydra-class frigate and flagship of the Hellenic Navy. The ship was built in the same shipyard as the Blohm + Voss MEKO 200 frigate class, on which its design was based. Three more vessels were built by Hellenic Shipyards Co. at Skaramagas in following years.[1] It is the fifth ship in the Hellenic Navy to bear the name Hydra.

Hydra (F-452) (Φ/Γ Ύδρα (F-452)
History
Greece
Name	Hydra
Namesake	the Hydra Island
Builder	Blohm + Voss
Launched	25 June 1991
Commissioned	1992
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Hydra-class frigate
Displacement	3,350 tons
Length	117 m (384 ft)
Beam	14.8 m (49 ft)
Draught	6 m (20 ft)
Propulsion	2 shaft CODOG, controllable pitch propellers , 2 General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 60,656 hp (45,231 kW) 2 MTU 20V 956 diesel engines, 10,040 hp (7,490 kW)
Speed	31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph) maximum 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) cruise
Range	4,100 nmi (7,600 km; 4,700 mi) at 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) (diesels)
Complement	173
Sensors and processing systems	Signaal MW08 air search radar Signaal DA08 air surface radar 2 Signaal STIR fire control radar Racal Decca 2690 BT navigation radar Raytheon SQS-56/DE 1160 hull-mounted and VDS sonar SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo decoy Mk XII Mod 4 IFF radar 2 Signaal Mk 73 Mod 1 radar for ESSM Signaal STACOS Mod 2 combat data system SAR-8 IR searcher
Electronic warfare & decoys	Argo AR 700 ESM system Telegon 10 ESM system Argo APECS II ECM system 4 SCLAR decoy launchers
Armament	1 × Mk 45 Mod 2A, 2 × Mk15 Phalanx 20 mm CIWS, 2 Mk141 4 × 8 Harpoon missile launchers, Mk 48 Mod 2 vertical launcher for 16 × RIM-162 ESSM, 2 Mk32 Mod 5 2 × 324 mm (13 in) torpedo tubes for Mk46 torpedoes
Aircraft carried	1
Aviation facilities	Hangar for 1 Sikorsky S-70B-6 Aegean Hawk helicopter

Hydra was the first of four frigates of the MEKO 200 type (the four being Hydra, Spetsai, Psara, and Salamis) ordered by the Greek government. The ship was delivered to the Hellenic Navy on 15 October 1992 and first sailed in Greek waters on 28 January 1993. The crest of the frigate Hydra is the same as that of her predecessor. It is based on one of the flags which the ships of Hydra sailed under during the 1821 revolution.[2]

In April 1988, the Hellenic Navy proposed and approved the four frigates of the MEKO 200 type in an effort to modernize its fleet. After a lengthy negotiation process, the following contracts were signed to fulfill the program:

• A contract with ΜΕΚΟ Consortium (MC), Blohm + Voss AG and Thyssen Rheinstahl Technik to build the frigate in Germany.
• A second contract with MEKO Consortium to supply parts to Hellenic Shipyards to build the other three Hydra-class frigates in Scaramanga, Greece

On 12 May 2020, Hydra sailed off from her port in Salamis Island to participate in Operation Irini, however the ship was damaged due to unknown reasons and had to be replaced by another ship of the same class, Spetsai.[3]