Frigates are the workhorses of modern navies. They are versatile warships able to serve
many different missions, across a wide range of environments. Most possesses the weapons to engage 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 its capabilities and missions have evolved rapidly over the last twenty years, as navies
around the world sought to bolster their combat potential at 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 specializes in anti-air warfare. They were built in the early 2000s, in an
effort to maintain German naval capabilities, following the end of the Cold War and unification
of Germany in 1990. The Sachsen class displaces 5,800 tons at
full load, with a top speed of 29 knots, and a crew of 243. She has enhanced stealth design intended for
deceiving enemy radar and acoustic sensors. She is well-armed with 32 Mark-41 VLS launchers,
carrying the SM-2 area air defense missiles, and the evolved sea sparrow missiles in quad
packs. She has two rolling air-frame missile launchers
for close-range air defense. She has an advanced active phased array radar
and the SMART-L long-range radar, which are purported to be able to detect stealth aircraft
and stealth missiles. For anti-surface warfare, the Sachsen has
8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles in two quad 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 defence
and anti-submarine warfare. They displace around 4,000 tons at full load,
with a top speed of 27 knots, and a crew of 165. The Type 054A is the first truly stealthy
frigate designed in China. She has 32 H/AJK-16 VLS launchers carrying
the HHQ-16 series of area air defense missiles. Compared to the German Sachsen, the air warfare
capability of the 054A 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 the 054A more versatile. She has a towed array and a variable depth
sonar for detecting underwater threats. For armaments, she has anti-submarine missiles,
onboard torpedoes, and one helicopter. For anti-surface warfare, she has 8 YJ-83
subsonic anti-ship missiles, and the Pakistan variant, the Tughril class, has the far 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 Abukuma destroyer escort. The Mogami displaces 5,500 tons at full load,
with a top speed of over 30 knots and a crew of 90. 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 strong suite of sonars, 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 prosecute underwater targets. For air defence, she is lightly armed with
16 Mark-41 VLS, equipped with medium range surface-to-air missiles. Because the Mogami is not an air warfare ship,
she only has an X-band radar optimized for self defence at close range. Number 8: FREMM
The FREMM stands for European Multi-purpose Frigate in French, and currently serves in
the French, Italian, Egyptian and Moroccan Navies. The FREMM design can be tailored towards specialized
roles. Some in anti-air warfare, and others towards
anti-submarine purposes. The FREMM displaces between 6,000 to 6,700
tons, depending on the design, with a top speed of between 27 and above 30 knots, and
a crew of between 145 and 200. 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 air warfare version has a 32-cell
VLS. Most of the ship carry an additional 16-cell
launcher for anti-surface missiles. The French vessels come with a single ASW
helicopter, while the Italian ships have the space for two helicopters. Number 7: Admiral Grigorovich class
The Project 11356R Admiral Grigorovich class is built for the Russian and Indian Navies. They serve in the Russian Black Sea Fleet,
headquartered in Sevastopol, Crimea. They were built as an interim solution for
the urgent need for new frigates before the more capable Admiral Gorshkov class can be
produced in sufficient numbers. The Admiral Grigorovich class is multi-purpose,
but weighted more towards anti-ship and land attack capabilities. She displaces around 4,000 tons, with a top
speed of 30 knots, and a crew of 200. She has 24 VLS launchers for the 3S90M air
defense system for medium range area air defense. However, it is anti-ship capability that stands
out. The Admiral Grigorovich has 8 universal UKSK
VLS launchers to fire the Kalibr and Oniks cruise missiles. These are some of the most dangerous supersonic
anti-ship weapons, and land-attack versions are also available. In the future, the class may use the Zircon
hypersonic missile. Number 6: De Zeven Provincien class
De Zeven Provincien is a class of highly advanced anti-air frigates in 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 top speed of 30 knots, and a complement of 232. Like the German Sachsen class, De Zeven Provincien
has a multifunction active phased array radar, and the long-range SMART-L radar to look for
stealthy aircraft and missiles. There is a 40-cell Mark-41 VLS, which carries
the SM-2 SAM for area air defense, and the evolved sea sparrow SAM for medium-range air
defense, inside quad-packs. In addition, there are 8 Harpoon cruise missiles
for anti-shipping purpose. Number 5: Nilgiri class
The Nilgiri class, Project 17 Alpha, are stealth frigates currently built for the Indian Navy. They strike a balance across a wide range
of capabilities. They displace 6,670 tons, with a top speed
of 28 knots, and a crew of 226. Like many other Indian warships, the Nilgiri
is armed with the Barak-8 air defense missiles, arranged in a 32-cell VLS. They are active radar-guided and effective
in the medium range. There is a larger VLS of 8 cells 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 on most Western warships. For anti-submarine warfare, the Nilgiri class,
like other Indian warships, relies on heavyweight torpedo tubes carrying the domestic Varunastra
heavy torpedo. Heavy torpedoes have the advantage of longer
range, and obviously a larger payload compared to the typical light torpedoes on 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-air 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 achieve a top speed of 30 knots,
with a complement of 165, a fairly low number reflecting a high level of automation. The anti-air weapon includes the SM-2 area
air defense SAM, the evolved sea sparrow missile, and the SM-6 long-range SAM. They are carried inside 32 to 56 VLS launchers,
depending on the number of additional Harpoon cruise missiles carried, which vary between
8 to 16. Number 3: Alvaro de Bazan class
The Spanish Alvaro de Bazan class air defense frigates are equipped with a miniaturized
version of the AEGIS combat system developed by the US company Lockheed Martin. The class displaces around 6,500 tons fully
loaded, with a top speed of 28.5 knots, and a complement of 250. The Alvaro de Bazan is one of the few warship
classes outside the United States to use the AEGIS combat system and the associated AN/SPY-1D
radar. This allows the ship to track hundreds of
airborne targets simultaneously. To engage airborne targets, the ship uses
the SM-2 area air defense missiles, and the evolved sea sparrow. They are carried inside a Mark-41 VLS of 48
cells. In addition to anti-radar stealth, the class
incorporates anti-vibration mounts for its power plants, helping to reduce noise and
acoustic signature to an extent. Number 2: Type 26
The Type 26 is a next-generation frigate being built for the UK Royal Navy, also known as
the City class, because all the units are named after UK cities. They partially replace the previous Type 23
Duke class frigates. Currently, the Type 26 remains under construction,
and the first vessel is expected to be commissioned only in 2026. They displace 8,000 tons full load, with an
expected top speed exceeding 26 knots, and a complement of 157. The Type 26 is basically the size of a destroyer,
with a similar level of firepower. She will have a large number of VLS launchers,
carrying the naval version of the Common Anti-Air Modular 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 fulfil anti-submarine missions. To do this, it will have two helicopters,
armed with ASW torpedoes, sonobuoys, air-to-surface missiles, and anti-ship missiles. Number 1: Admiral Gorshkov class
The Admiral Gorshkov class, Project 22350, is the most advanced frigate in the Russian
Navy. The lead ship is named after Admiral Sergei
Gorshkov of the Soviet Union, who built up the Red Fleet during the Cold War. They are multi-purpose 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 top speed just below 30 knots, and a crew of 210. In terms of air warfare, she has the Poliment-Redut
air defense system with a range of 120 kilometers, served by 32 VLS launchers. The ship’s most dangerous asset are its
anti-ship missiles inside 16 to 32 universal VLS cells. They include the Kalibr missile, featuring
a supersonic sprint in the terminal phase, and the Oniks supersonic missile. Most importantly, they can use the Zircon,
a scramjet-powered hypersonic missile. It remains uncertain whether such weapons
can be stopped reliably by existing naval defense systems. There you have it, the Top 11 most powerful
frigates in the world. As with all rankings, it is of course highly
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 as of right now, please check out this video on
your screen right now.
