Top 11 Frigates In 2024 | Ultimate Ranking

Frigates are the workhorses of modern navies. They are versatile warships capable of accomplishing many different missions, in a wide range of environments. Most have weapons to attack surface, air and underwater targets, although some

frigates

specialize in fighting a specific type of opponent. Frigates have been around for a long time, but their capabilities and missions have evolved rapidly over the past twenty years, as navies around the world sought to bolster their combat potential at an affordable cost. This video reviews the Top 11 most powerful

frigates

in the world. Number 11: Sachsen Class The Sachsen class of the German Navy is specialized in anti-aircraft warfare.

They were built in the early 2000s, in an effort to maintain German naval capabilities, following the end of the Cold War and the unification of Germany in 1990. The Sachsen class displaces 5,800 tons fully loaded, with a maximum speed of 29 knots, and a crew of 243 people. She has an enhanced stealth design intended to fool enemy radar and acoustic sensors. She is well armed with 32 Mark-41 VLS launchers, carrying SM-2 area air defense missiles and the evolved Sea Sparrow missiles in quad packages. She has two rolling airframe missile launchers for short-range air defense. She has an advanced active phased radar and the SMART-L long-range radar, which can supposedly detect stealth aircraft and missiles.

For anti-surface warfare, the Sachsen has 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles in two quadruple launchers. Number 10: Type 054A The Type 054A forms the backbone of the Chinese Navy's frigate force. They are designed for medium-range air defense and anti-submarine warfare. They displace around 4,000 tons fully loaded, with a maximum speed of 27 knots and a crew of 165 people. The Type 054A is the first truly stealthy frigate designed in China. It has 32 VLS H/AJK-16 launchers carrying the HHQ-16 series of area air defense missiles. Compared to the German Sachsen, the 054A's air warfare capability is probably not at the same level, as the German ship has more powerful missiles, but the 054A has a more complete set of sonars for anti-submarine warfare, making it the 054A is more versatile.

It has a towed array and variable depth sonar to detect underwater threats. In terms of weapons, it has anti-submarine missiles, torpedoes on board and a helicopter. For anti-surface warfare, she has 8 YJ-83 subsonic anti-ship missiles, and Pakistan's variant, the Tughril class, has the much more dangerous YJ-12 supersonic missile. Number 9: Mogami Class Japan built the Mogami class for anti-submarine warfare, to fill the gaps in place of the aging Asagiri-class destroyer and escort destroyer Abukuma. The Mogami displaces 5,500 tons fully loaded, with a maximum speed of more than 30 knots and a crew of 90 people. She is a very stealthy frigate, by virtue of her stealthy mast that houses her radar and other electronic systems, and the compact hull design. .

For anti-submarine warfare, the Mogami has a powerful sonar array, including a towed array and a variable depth sonar. She is well armed with torpedoes and anti-submarine missiles, and carries a single SH-60L Seahawk helicopter to pursue underwater targets. For air defense, she is lightly armed with 16 Mark-41 VLS, equipped with medium-range surface-to-air missiles. Because the Mogami is not an aerial warship, she only has an X-band radar optimized for close-range self-defense. Number 8: FREMM The FREMM means European Multipurpose Frigate in French and currently serves in the French, Italian, Egyptian and Moroccan Navies. The FREMM design can be tailored to specialized functions.

Some in anti-aircraft warfare and others for anti-submarine purposes. The FREMM displaces between 6,000 and 6,700 tons, depending on the design, with a maximum speed of between 27 and more than 30 knots, and a crew of between 145 and 200 people. Most of the FREMM carries a 16-cell VLS launcher for the Aster-15 medium-range SAM and the Aster-30 long-range SAM, although some of the ships can only use the Aster-15. The French version of air warfare has a 32-cell VLS. Most of the ship carries an additional 16-cell launcher for anti-surface missiles. The French ships come with a single ASW helicopter, while the Italian ships have room for two helicopters.

Number 7: Admiral Grigorovich Class The Admiral Grigorovich class of Project 11356R is built for the Russian and Indian Navies. They serve in the Russian Black Sea Fleet, based in Sevastopol, Crimea. They were built as an interim solution to the urgent need for new frigates before the more capable Admiral Gorshkov class could be produced in sufficient numbers. The Admiral Grigorovich class is multi-purpose, but has more anti-ship and land attack capabilities. She displaces around 4,000 tons, with a maximum speed of 30 knots and a crew of 200 people. She has 24 VLS launchers for the 3S90M air defense system for medium-range area air defense.

However, what stands out is the anti-ship capability. Admiral Grigorovich has 8 UKSK VLS universal launchers to fire the Kalibr and Oniks cruise missiles. These are some of the most dangerous supersonic anti-ship weapons, and ground attack versions are also available. In the future, the class will be able to use the Zircon hypersonic missile. Number 6: De Zeven Provincien Class De Zeven Provincien is a class of highly advanced anti-aircraft frigates of the Dutch Navy. Like many European frigates, they are practically similar to destroyers, but are designated as frigates. They displace around 6,000 tons fully loaded, with a maximum speed of 30 knots and a crew of 232.

Like the German Sachsen class, De Zeven Provincien has an active phased multifunction radar and the long-range SMART-L radar for look. for stealth aircraft and missiles. There is a 40-cell Mark-41 VLS, carrying the SM-2 SAM for area air defence, and the evolved Sea Sparrow SAM for medium range air defence, within quad packages. Additionally, there are 8 Harpoon cruise missiles for anti-ship purposes. Number 5: Nilgiri Class The Nilgiri class, Project 17 Alpha, are stealth frigates currently built for the Indian Navy. They strike a balance between a wide range of capabilities. They displace 6,670 tons, a maximum speed of 28 knots and a crew of 226 people.

Like many other Indian warships, the Nilgiri is armed with Barak-8 air defense missiles, arranged in a 32-cell VLS. They are guided by active radar and are effective at medium range. There is a larger 8-cell VLS to carry the well-known Brahmos anti-ship missiles, a supersonic weapon based on the Russian P-800 Oniks and more dangerous than the anti-ship weapons of most Western warships. For anti-submarine warfare, the Nilgiri class, like other Indian warships, relies on heavy torpedo tubes carrying the domestic Varunastra heavy torpedo. Heavy torpedoes have the advantage of a longer range and obviously a larger payload compared to the typical light torpedoes of most warships.

The Nilgiri class carries two anti-submarine helicopters. Number 4: Iver Huitfeldt Class The Iver Huitfeldt is a class of large frigates of the Royal Danish Navy, built primarily for anti-aircraft warfare. They are based on the hull design of the previous Absalon-class frigates, which reduced their development cost. The Iver Huitfeldt displaces 6,645 tons fully loaded, basically the same as a medium-sized destroyer. They can reach a maximum speed of 30 knots, with a crew of 165, a fairly low number that reflects a high level of automation. The anti-aircraft weapon includes the SM-2 area air defense SAM, the evolved Sea Sparrow missile and the SM-6 long-range SAM.

From 32 to 56 VLS launchers are carried inside, depending on the number of additional Harpoon cruise missiles carried, varying between 8 and 16. Number 3: Álvaro de Bazán class The Spanish Álvaro de Bazán class air defense frigates are equipped with a miniaturized version of the AEGIS combat system developed by the American company Lockheed Martin. The class displaces around 6,500 tons fully loaded, with a maximum speed of 28.5 knots and a crew of 250. The Álvaro de Bazán is one of the few warship classes outside the United States to use the combat system AEGIS and the associated AN/SPY. -1D radar.

This allows the ship to track hundreds of airborne targets simultaneously. To attack air targets, the ship uses the SM-2 area air defense missiles and the evolved sea sparrow. They are transported inside a 48-cell Mark-41 VLS. In addition to anti-radar stealth, the class incorporates anti-vibration mounts for its power plants, which helps reduce noise and acoustic signature to some extent. Number 2: Type 26 The Type 26 is a next-generation frigate being built for the United Kingdom Royal Navy, also known as the City class, because all units are named after cities in the United Kingdom. They partially replace the previous Type 23 Duke-class frigates.

Currently, the Type 26 is still under construction and the first vessel is expected to enter service only in 2026. They displace 8,000 tons fully loaded, with an expected maximum speed of over 26 knots. and a complement of 157. The Type 26 is basically the size of a destroyer, with a similar level of firepower. It will have a large number of VLS launchers, carrying the naval version of the common modular anti-aircraft missile, the Sea Ceptor, which is already operational on the Type 23. Other weapons include future cruise missiles and anti-ship systems. The Type 26 will carry out anti-submarine missions. For this purpose, it will have two helicopters, armed with ASW torpedoes, sonobuoys, air-to-ground missiles and anti-ship missiles.

Number 1: Admiral Gorshkov Class The Admiral Gorshkov class, Project 22350, is the most advanced frigate of the Russian Navy. The lead ship is named after Admiral Sergei Gorshkov of the Soviet Union, who formed the Red Fleet during the Cold War. They are multi-role frigates, although their most impressive capability lies in their anti-surface firepower using a variety of cruise missiles. The Admiral Gorshkov displaces 5,400 tons fully loaded, with a maximum speed slightly less than 30 knots and a crew of 210 people. In terms of air warfare, it has the Poliment-Redut air defense system with a range of 120 kilometers, served by 32 VLS. launchers.

The ship's most dangerous asset is its anti-ship missiles within 16 to 32 VLS universal cells. These include the Kalibr missile, which features a supersonic run in the terminal phase, and the Oniks supersonic missile. Most importantly, they can use the Zircon, a hypersonic missile powered by a scramjet. It remains uncertain whether existing naval defense systems can reliably stop such weapons. There you have it, the Top 11 most powerful frigates in the world. As with all

ranking

s, of course, it is very subjective. Do you agree with the list in this video? Let me know in the comment below. If you are interested in a Youtuber's opinion on the top 10 destroyers in the world right now, watch this video on your screen right now.