Four 3500T MEKO® A-200 Corvettes were commissioned in 2006 and 2007 for the South African Navy. They were built by Blohm + Voss Werft and HDW in Germany and are using a revolutionary concept which makes possible to retrofit and convert the vessels without difficulty, in the shortest possible time, and at a competitive cost. The most up-to-date surveillance and automation systems have significantly reduced the crew size.

Wärtsilä solution
The Corvettes have a ‘Waterjet and Refined Propeller’ or WARP® propulsion solution with three shaft lines. Two five-bladed controllable pitch propellers are coupled via a three-stage gearbox to two 5900 kW diesel engines. In between the propellers is a centre reversible waterjet type LJ210E driven by a 20 MW gas turbine. The complete installation meets shock, noise and vibration criteria according to military standards.

The waterjet is a custom design enabling the 3500T vessel to crash-stop from the top speed within 3 ship’s lengths. The reversing installation can be fully engaged within a matter of seconds at the maximum output of the gas turbine due to the special design of the reversing bucket and hydraulic system.