Type 056A, Gowind 2500, Ada ..: What are modern Corvettes worth?

During the Second World War, the modern corvettes of the time were ships of limited tonnage, 1000 tons for the very prolific Flower class of the Royal Navy, intended to escort convoys against submarine threats and secure the coasts.

Over the years, corvettes disappeared from the majority of large modern navies, replaced by heavier and more versatile frigates or less expensive missile patrol boats, while the threat on the coasts faded and that anti-submarine warfare needs were handled more by the submarines themselves, and maritime patrol aircraft.

However, in recent years, many navies, including the largest, are again interested in corvettes, and offers for this type of building have multiplied.

In this article, we will present the operational capabilities and performance of 8 modern corvette models: the German K130 Braunschweig, the Chinese Type 056A, the French Gowind 2500, the Israeli Sa'ar 72, the American LCS, the Russian Gremyashchiy, the Swedish Visby and Turkish Ada.

Germany: K130 Braunschweig Class Corvettes

Intended to replace Guépard missile patrol boats, corvettes K130 Braunschweig should also have capabilities allowing their deployment on the high seas. in 5.

90 meters long for a tonnage of 1850 tonnes, the K130s are larger than many of the ships presented here. The armament of the K130, limited as often on German ships, consists of an imposing 76 mm gun, two 27 mm BK-27 light guns, 4 RBS-15 anti-ship missiles with a range of 75 km, as well as 2 air self-protection systems close-range SeaRAM with 21 missiles each. A Laser anti-drone system is being developed by MBDA and Rheinmetall for these corvettes.

Although equipped with a platform that can accommodate a medium helicopter, the Braunschweig aviation hangar can only accommodate light Skeldar drones. The corvette has a TRS-3D radar designed by Cassidain, but it does not have a sonar, nor a weapon system intended for anti-submarine warfare, unlike the majority of the ships presented here. Germany will eventually have 10 corvettes of this type, which also serves as the basis for the Israeli Sa'ar 6 class.

China: Jiangdao-class Type 056A Corvettes

Launched from 2014, the Type 056 corvettes represents the most prolific combat ship class in the past 40 years, with 72 units launched between 2012 and 2019 for the Chinese Navy and 4 units for the Bangladesh Naval Forces, including 50 Type 056A models specialized in coastal anti-submarine warfare.

Modern and efficient, the Type 056A, designated by NATO as the Jiangdao class, have a tonnage of 1500 tons for a length of 90 meters. Like the German K130s, they have a flight deck to accommodate a medium helicopter like the Z9C derived from the Dauphin and specialized in ASM combat, but do not have a hangar for the aircraft.

They carry armament and a set of sensors comparable, broadly, to those of the K130, with a 76 mm gun, two 30 mm guns, 4 C802 anti-ship missiles and an HQ10 short-range anti-aircraft system. similar to SeaRAM, as well as a Type 360 ​​surveillance radar.

On the other hand, and contrary to the German corvettes, Type 56A are specialized in coastal anti-submarine warfare, and has for this purpose a bow sonar as well as a variable depth sonar, as well as 2 triple torpedo tubes of 324 mm.

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