Otapara-class destroyer

Ohikati, one of the Otapara-class destroyers.
Class overview
Builders:	Manley Shipyards, Smith Island, Meridon
Operators:	Meridonian Navy
Preceded by:	Mystere-class destroyer
Succeeded by:	Helena-class destroyer
Subclasses:	Rourke-class cruiser
Built:	1985-TBD
In service:	1988-present
Planned:	20
Completed:	8
Cancelled:	12
Active:	8
General characteristics
Class and type:	Guided missile destroyer, general purpose destroyer
Displacement:	10,600 tons, full load
Length:	Overall: 557 ft
Beam:	Overall: Around 70ft
Draught:	20ft
Propulsion:	4x COGAG turbines powering 2 shafts, 100,000 shp total
Speed:	In excess of 35 knots
Range:	In excess of 6,000 nm at 18kts
Complement:	300, with accomodations for up to 360.
Sensors and processing systems:	Delta IMRAS phased array 3D multifunction radar Delta AM8491 2D air search radar 2x Delta SM333 I Band surface search/navigational radar 1x Delta SM315 E/F Band surface search radar 2x Delta TM220 missile radar illuminators 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 6x 7.62 general purpose machine guns 2x 48-cell + 1x 32-cell VLS (128 total cells) with capacity for: MSA-7 short range anti-aircraft missile (up to 4x per cell) (legacy) MSA-6 long range anti-aircraft missile (legacy) MSA-15 short-range anti-aircraft missile (up to 4x per cell) MSA-30 long-range anti-aircraft missile MSU-14 antisubmarine rocket-propelled torpedo MSS-18 cruise missile 2x Goalkeeper 40 25mm CIWS 16x MSS-33 anti-ship missiles 2x triple torpedo tubes for MSU-90 anti-submarine torpedoes
Armour:	Kevlar over vital spaces
Aircraft carried:	2x H50M5 normally carried
Aviation facilities:	Enclosed hangar for up to 2x H50M5 Hawk

The Otapara-class is a class of eight guided missile destroyers in service with the Meridonian Navy. Initially designed as all-spectrum multi-purpose destroyers to replace a number of surface combatants in the Navy, cost concerns and perceptions about its lack of ability to effectively counter next-generation threats particularly in the air-to-air arena due to the lack of modular space available (particularly with radar and guidance systems for missiles) saw it optimized into a 'general purpose' (GP) destroyer oriented as a surface action group leader and multi-purpose destroyer. The first ship, Otapara, was commissioned in 1998, with the last, Anamaru, commissioning in 1993. While 20 of these vessels were initially planned, 12 were cancelled. 6 of the twelve were converted to Rourke-class cruisers, and material from the other two currently in construction were cannibalized to contribute to this.

The Otapara-class is the largest surface warfare vessel built for the Navy since the 1950s, and is one of the most heavily armed destroyers in the world. Considered a cruiser in some circles, it was designed to meet virtually every mission set expected of a surface combatant. Originally armed for air defense with MSA-6 and 7 missiles, all have since been upgraded by 2010 to utilize the Common Air Defense System suite of missiles. It is additionally capable of anti-shipping warfare with box-launched MSS-33 and VLS-launched MSS-18 cruise missiles, the latter of which are also capable of land attack; and anti-submarine warfare with embarked anti-submarine helicopters, MSU-14 antisubmarine rocket torpedoes.

Description

Design

Anamaru conducting a live fire exercise off the coast of Redbird Territory.

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 Otapara	D30	23 March 1985	12 April 1988	33 November 1988
MRS Kaimai	D31	10 July 1985	24 December 1988	30 August 1989
MRS Kaihiku	D32	2 June 1986	30 March 1989	20 February 1990
MRS Ohikati	D33	13 November 1986	20 March 1989	11 March 1990
MRS Rotoma	D34	24 July 1987	14 July 1990	2 January 1992
MRS Whitikau	D35	18 February 1988	2 January 1991	11 January 1992
MRS Pipiroa	D36	2 March 1989	3 March 1992	16 December 1992
MRS Anamaru	D37	20 December 1989	14 December 1992	3 May 1993