Régeñe Natalia Romero class: Difference between revisions

 

The BoP made the controversial decision to hire Tranquíla Steelworks for the frigate contract. Up to this point, the Steelworks had been known for patrol craft and other smaller ships. However, due to the incompetence of the Arma Nautico engineers concerning the ''Princesa Gloria''class, it was felt sourcing other shipbuilding firms was appropriate. The Armada received the ARC ''Régeñe Natalia Romero'' in 1983 and used the vessel as a testbed for several technologies including helicopter-launched torpedos and missiles, hull-mounted sonar, and naval ballistic computers. The other three ships were received and commissioned between 1984 and 1987 and were all well-liked by their crews and shoreside personnel for their simple, strong construction, ease of maintenance, and modularity. ARC ''Régeñe Natalia Romero'' joined her three sister ships as an active Armada ship in 1989. The four vessels were upgraded in 2005 with new radar, electronics, and anti-submarine armaments along with improvements to crew comfort and automation. The frigate hull is expected to be the baseline for future Armada ships of similar size and mission.