ARA Almirante Brown (D-10)
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 ARA Almirante Brown |
|
| Germany |  |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Blohm und Voss |
| Operators: |  Argentine Navy |
| In service: | 1983 |
| Ships in Class | |
| Ships in class: | 4 |
| Ships in active service: | ARA Almirante Brown ARA La Argentina ARA Heroina ARA Sarandi |
| General Characteristics | |
| Class type: | Multi-purpose frigate |
| Displacement: | 3,360 tons |
| Length: | 126 m |
| Beam: | 14 m |
| Draught: | 5.8 m |
| Propulsion and power: | COGAG (4 turbines) 36,000 shp |
| Speed: | 30.5 knots |
| Range: | 4,500 miles |
| Complement: | 224 |
| Armament: | 8 anti-ship missiles 24 surface-to-air missiles 1 dual purpose gun 8 anti-aircraft guns 6 torpedo tubes |
| Aircraft complement: | 1 helicopter |
ARA Almirante Brown (pennant number D-10) is the lead ship of the MEKO 360H2 series of four destroyers built for the Argentine Navy. The ship is the ninth ship in the history of the Argentine Navy to be named for Admiral William Brown, the founder and commander of the Argentine Navy during Argentina's war of independence against Spain.
[edit] Origin
Almirante Brown and her sister ships were authorized under the Naval Construction National Plan of 1974, an initiative by the Argentine Navy to replace old World War II-vintage warships which were nearing the end of their operational lives. A contract was signed with the Blohm + Voss Shipyards in Hamburg, West Germany for the construction of four MEKO 360H2 destroyers.
[edit] Construction
The keel of Almirante Brown was laid down on September 8th, 1980 and she was launched on March 28th, 1981. The ship was delivered to the Argentine Navy on February 2nd, 1983 for her sea trials, following which the ship departed for Argentina, arriving at Puerto Belgrano Naval Base on March 21st and being formally commissioned into the Navy on March 28th of that same year.
[edit] Service History
Almirante Brown, together with the corvette ARA Spiro, was ordered to proceed to the Persian Gulf on September 25th, 1990, as part of the United Nations-mandated naval blockade on Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait. The ship formed part of the multinational task force and participated on Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, returning to Argentina on April 25th, 1991.
On April 16th, 1996, Almirante Brown conducted the first trans-horizon launch of an Exocet MM-40 missile.
She is currently homeported at Puerto Belgrano as part of the Navy's 2nd Destroyer Division, along with her three sister ships.
