Bell-class frigate

Bell, lead ship of the Bell-class frigates.
Class overview
Builders:	Algiers Maritime Engineering, Smith Island, Meridon
Operators:	Meridonian Navy
Preceded by:	Taga-class frigate
Built:	2018-present
In service:	2020-present
Planned:	30
Building:	3
Completed:	9
Active:	8
General characteristics
Class and type:	Guided missile frigate, anti-submarine warfare frigate
Displacement:	7,200 tons, full load
Length:	Overall: 420 feet
Beam:	Overall: Around 68ft
Draught:	26 ft
Propulsion:	CODLOG configuration: 1 gas turbine 4x high-speed gas generators 2x electric motors
Speed:	In excess of 35 knots
Range:	In excess of 7000 nm at 18kts operating on electric motors
Complement:	160, with capacity for up to 200.
Sensors and processing systems:	Delta EMPRESS 3D multifunction radar suite 2x Delta SM333 I Band surface search/navigational radar 1x Delta SM315 E/F Band surface search radar 2x MATCA combined AHRS/INS systems MATCA Command Navigation Program MATCA RAGOTS combined radar and optical gun tracking suite Matca R43E sonar suite Matca Seafin R300 towed array sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	MATCA SHREWD electronic warfare suite MATCA NGSEE signals exploitation suite Nulka decoys Advanced Counter-Torpedo Decoy System Offboard Float Decoy System Nixie decoys
Armament:	1x Type 42 4.5in naval gun 2x Type 318 30mm chaingun 2x 7.62 miniguns 4x 7.62 general purpose machine guns 1x 32-cell (full) and 2x 16-cell VLS (short), total of 64 cells with capacity for: MSA-15 short-range anti-aircraft missile (up to 4x per cell) MSU-14 antisubmarine rocket-propelled torpedo MSS-18 cruise missile 2x Goalkeeper 40 25mm CIWS 2x MSS-33 anti-ship missile box launchers, 2 missiles per set (total of 4) 2x triple torpedo tubes for MSU-90 anti-submarine torpedoes
Armour:	Kevlar over vital spaces
Aircraft carried:	1x H50M5 normally carried
Aviation facilities:	Enclosed hangar for 1x H50M5 Seahawk

The Bell-class is a class of guided missile frigates in service with and being produced for the Meridonian Navy. Designed to replace the Taga-class frigates commissioned in the 80s and 90s and provide a more capable and flexible overall design, their design primarily orients towards the anti-submarine role. First designed in the early 2010s with construction beginning in 2018 by Algiers Maritime Shipyards, the ship uses mostly readily available technologies and proven design techniques, especially those tested on the construction of the Helena-class destroyers. One notable exception is its EMPRESS integrated mast and radar system, which are a substantial systems upgrade from the Taga-class' IMRAS. The lead ship, Bell, named after the Bell river in Alexandria Territory, was commissioned in October 2020. Four ships are currently in service, with three under construction and a total of 22 ships planned.

The Bell-class frigates feature full integration of the Common Air Defense System missiles and will allow the phasing out of the legacy MSA-7 and MSA-6 Sea Sparrow missiles on all combatants. The Otapara-class can still operate them but have been modified to operate with the more modern CADS array of missiles. Bell-class ships will only carry CADS-15 missiles in quad-packed cells. They are capable of launching MSU-14 VLS-launched counter-submarine rockets and MSS-18 cruise missiles from their VLS cells, and MSS-33 Commorant missiles from box launchers. The ship features a Modular Mission Bay (MMB) which can be configured as extra helicopter space, serve as lodging, carry container crates, or raiding craft.

Description

Design

Bell under construction in 2019.

The Otapara-class was originally conceived as a standardized class of destroyer able to perform all necessary functions expected of a future surface combatant, including provisions for flag facilities as leaders of surface action groups. Replacing older Mystere-class vessels, they offered a substantially increased capability in anti-ship and land attack warfare, the latter being the first introduction of the capability from a surface ship with the introduction of VLS tubes. 20 ships were originally planned, however due to the high cost related to fitting and arming an Otapara-class destroyer and its percieved inadequacy in the air defense role, the Helena-class destroyer was designed to specialize in air warfare and form the bulk of a surface action group. This lead to the emergence of the semi-formal designation of the Otapara-class as a 'general purpose' destroyer, as opposed to the 'air wafare' destroyer Helena-class.

Ships in class

Ship	Pennant number	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned
MRS Bell	F159	23 March 2018	12 April 2020	03 January 2021
MRS Flint	F160	01 February 2019	24 November 2019	30 August 2021
MRS Arpeak	F161	2 August 2019	30 March 2021	20 September 2021
MRS Barton	F162	13 November 2020	20 March 2021	11 March 2022
MRS Isola	F163	16 July 2021	14 March 2022
MRS Esperance	F164	14 April 2022
MRS Cielo	F165	18 December 2022
MRS Diana	F166