Corvettes steaming ahead: the yardstick of surface naval power was once the realm of destroyers and frigates, but this has been expanded in the post 9/11 world to include the addition of the corvette. At one time these were used only by small navies, but are now being seen even by major naval powers as multi-role platforms that are suitable for asymmetric/littoral operations.

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Corvettes

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Corvettes steaming ahead: the yardstick of surface naval power was once the realm of destroyers and frigates, but this has been expanded in the post 9/11 world to include the addition of the corvette. At one time these were used only by small navies, but are now being seen even by major naval powers as multi-role platforms that are suitable for asymmetric/littoral operations.

But what is a corvette? A major problem defining warships is that designations often appear to be applied arbitrarily; at one time France's 6100-tonne Tourville and 5000-tonne Cassard classes were classified as corvettes; they are both destroyers although officially rated by the French Navy as fregates.

The corvette and the offshore patrol vessel have much in common, as they are usually sea-going vessels of between 55 and 100 metres in length with a displacement of 490 to 2500 tonnes, although there are exceptions. Both will be armed with a medium (57 to 76 mm) calibre gun and often with lighter (12.7 to 40 mm) weapons. A surface search radar is an essential tool and most will have the ability to carry, or to operate, a light-to-medium (four to ten-tonne) helicopter. Navies today call fo...

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