Royal Saudi Navy Badr corvette launches Harpoon anti-ship missile


According to information published by Asharq Al-Awsat on October 9, 2021, the Royal Saudi Navy Badr corvette launched Harpoon anti-ship missiles at naval targets in the area of operations of the Naseem al-Bahr maneuvers in Pakistan.
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Russian Vyborg Shipyard laid the Purga ice class coastguard ship of project 23550 925 001 Badr-class corvette Badr launching Harpoon missile during Naseem Al-Bahr exercise (Picture source: Saudi Ministry of Defense)


The Badr class is a class of corvette built by the United States and operated by the Saudi Navy. The class has been relegated to a coastal defense role following the modernization of the Saudi fleet. There are four vessels in service; Badr, Al Yarmook, Hitteen, and Tabuk.

The four ships, at first known by the US-Navy style designation of "PCG", and later as the Badr-class, are 74.68 meters (245 ft 0 in) long overall, with a beam of 9.60 meters (31 ft 6 in) and a draught of 2.59 meters (8 ft 6 in).

Displacement was intended as 720 long tons (730 t), but the ships were completed significantly overweight and were recorded as displacing 903 long tons (917 t) standard and 1,038 long tons (1,055 t) full load in 1995.

They are powered by one General Electric LM2500 gas turbine rated at 23,000 shaft horsepower (17,000 kW) and two MTU 12V625 TB91 diesel engines (rated at a total of 3,058 brake horsepower (2,280 kW)) in a Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) arrangement, driving two controllable pitch propellers. This gives a maximum speed of 30 knots (35 mph; 56 km/h) when using the gas turbine and 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h) on the diesels. The ships have a range of 4,000 nautical miles (4,600 mi; 7,400 km) at 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h).

Principal anti-ship armament consists of eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles, with a gun armament of a single OTO Melara 76 mm gun forward, one Vulcan Phalanx close-in weapon system (CIWS) aft, two Oerlikon 20 mm cannon, an 81 mm mortar, and two 40 mm Mk 19 grenade launchers.

Anti-submarine armament consisted of two triple Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes for Mark 46 torpedoes. SPS-40B air search radar and SPS-55 navigation/surface search radars are carried, while a Mark 92 fire control radar is fitted above the ship's bridges. SQS-56 hull-mounted sonar is carried to direct the ships' torpedo tubes.