NNS Aradu

NNS Aradu at Lagos port on 5 April 2011
History
Nigeria
Name	Aradu
Builder	Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, West Germany
Laid down	1 December 1978
Launched	25 January 1980
Commissioned	20 February 1982
Identification	Pennant number: F89
Status	Out of service
General characteristics
Class and type	MEKO 360H1 frigate
Displacement	3,360 long tons (3,414 t) full load
Length	125.6 m (412 ft 1 in) oa
Beam	15 m (49 ft 3 in)
Draught	5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
Propulsion	2 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines; 50,880 shp (37,940 kW) 2 × MTU 20V 956 TM92 diesel engines; 10,420 bhp (7,770 kW), 2 shafts 2 × Kamewa controllable pitch propellers
Speed	30.5 knots (56.5 km/h)
Range	6,500 nmi (12,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement	195 (26 officers)
Sensors and processing systems	Plessey AWS 5 air/surface search radar Racal Decca 1226 navigation radar Signaal STIR fire control radar Atlas Elektronik sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	Two chaff dispensers Decca RDL-2 ESM
Armament	8 × Otomat Mk 1 ship-to-ship missiles 24 × Aspide surface-to-air missiles in octuple launcher 1 × 5 in (127 mm) OTO Melara Otobreda 127/54 Compact gun 8 × Bofors 40 mm gun 6 × 324 mm (13 in) torpedo tubes 1 depth charge rack
Aircraft carried	1 × Lynx Mk.89

NNS Aradu (F89) (meaning "thunder" in Hausa) is a Nigerian Navy frigate. She is the first of the MEKO 360 general purpose frigates built by the German company, Blohm + Voss. The 125.6-metre (412 ft 1 in) ship is the largest in the Nigerian Navy. As a general purpose frigate, Aradu has capabilities for anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare effectively, and participated in the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Trafalgar. The ship also possesses capability for naval fire support and electronic warfare. Additionally, she carries a ship-borne helicopter for anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and enhanced surveillance/detection.