Bulgarian frigate Drazki 41

Drazki at Black Sea
History
Belgium
Name:	Wandelaar
Builder:	Boelwerf, Temse
Launched:	21 June 1977
Out of service:	February 2004
Homeport:	Zeebrugge Naval Base
Motto:	"Fit via Vi"
Fate:	Sold to Bulgaria in February 2004
Bulgaria
Name:	Drazki
Acquired:	February 2004
Identification:	41
Status:	in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Wielingen-class frigate
Displacement:	2,200 tonnes
Length:	106.38 m (349 ft 0 in)
Beam:	12.30 m (40 ft 4 in)
Draught:	5.60 m (18 ft 4 in)
Propulsion:	Combined Diesel or Gas turbine 2 × ABC type DZC Diesel engines providing 4,200 hp (3,100 kW) each 1 × Rolls Royce Olympus T M - 3 B gas turbine providing 27,575 hp (20,563 kW) 2 inverted screws with variable pitch
Speed:	28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range:	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement:	14 officers, 71 NCO's and 74 sailors
Armament:	1 100 mm Creusot-Loire automatic cannon 1 RIM-7 Sea Sparrow launcher with 8 missiles 1 MM-38 Exocet launcher with 4 missiles 1 375mm Bofors depth charge launcher 2 Ecan Type l5 torpedo tubes with 10 torpedoes

Drazki (Дръзки – Daring) is a Wielingen-class frigate of the Bulgarian Navy. Originally constructed for the Belgian Navy as Wandelaar, the ship was acquired by the Bulgarian Navy in 2004. The frigate is currently in active service.

Construction and career

Wandelaar was launched on 21 June 1977 at the Boelwerf in Temse. The frigate was later commissioned on 3 October 1978 with the pennant number F912. Wandelaar was the third ship in the Wielingen class. .

She was sold to the Bulgarian Navy in 2004. Wandelaar was refurbished and commissioned as Drazki and with the pennant number 41. In 2008 two other sister ships, Wielingen and Westdiep, were sold to Bulgaria.

References