The ''Boraida'' class is a

ship class A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, is a nuclear aircraft carrier (ship type) of the (ship class). In the course ...

of two replenishment oilers built for the Royal Saudi Navy by CN la Ciotat at

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

, France. It is a modified version of the French replenishment ship. They were constructed in 1983 and entered service in 1984. The two ships are based at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Design and description

Two ships of the French replenishment oilers were ordered by the Royal Saudi Navy in October 1980 to a modified design. The ''Boraida'' class have a

standard displacement The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into wei ...

of and at full load. They are long with a

beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...

of , and a draught of . The ships are powered by two

SEMT Pielstick SEMT Pielstick was a French company that designed and built large diesel engines. Its full name was (Company of Thermal Machines Studies). Founded in 1948, SEMT was bought by MAN Diesel in 2006 During its existence as an independent compan ...

14 PC2.5 V 400

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

s turning two shafts with LIPS

controllable pitch propeller In marine propulsion, a variable-pitch propeller is a type of propeller with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change the blade pitch. Reversible propellers—those where the pitch can be set to negative values—can al ...

s rated at . The ships have a top speed of , a range of at and endurance for 30 days. They have a

complement A complement is something that completes something else. Complement may refer specifically to: The arts * Complement (music), an interval that, when added to another, spans an octave ** Aggregate complementation, the separation of pitch-clas ...

of 140, with accommodation for 55 cadets. Each ship has two dual solid/liquid underway transfer stations per side and can replenish one ship per side and one astern. The ''Boraida'' class can carry of diesel, of aviation fuel, of freshwater, of ammunition, and of supplies. The ships are armed with two turrets with twin Breda Bofors guns. For weapons control the ''Boraida'' class is equipped with two CSEE Naja optronic fire control directors and two CSEE Lynx optical sights and have two Decca navigational

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

s. They have an aft

helicopter deck A helicopter deck (or helo deck) is a helicopter pad on the deck of a ship, usually located on the stern and always clear of obstacles that would prove hazardous to a helicopter landing. In the United States Navy, it is commonly and properly ...

, and can carry either one

Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma The Airbus Helicopters H215 (formerly Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma) is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-size utility helicopter developed and initially produced by the French aerospace company Aérospatiale. It has been subsequently manufactu ...

or two Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin helicopters. The helicopters can be armed with anti-submarine and anti-ship weapons.

Ships

Construction and career

The two ships were ordered as part of the Sawari programme. Both ships were built at the La Ciotat shipyard in

, France. The

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very complex and may ...

of the class, ''Boraida'', was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...

on 13 April 1982. The ship entered service on 29 February 1984. ''Yunbou'' was laid down on 9 October 1983 and entered service on 29 August 1985. They are used primarily as

training Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...

depot Depot ( or ) may refer to: Places * Depot, Poland, a village * Depot Island, Kemp Land, Antarctica * Depot Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica * Depot Island Formation, Greenland Brands and enterprises * Maxwell Street Depot, a restaurant in ...

and maintenance ships. Both ships are based at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 1996–1998, the two ships underwent a major refit by DCNS at

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

, France. In 2013 an agreement was reached between France and Saudi Arabia for a life-extension program for the two ships. The refit will include the installation of one launcher for Simbad Mistral surface-to-air missiles. The refits will take place in Saudi Arabia.

Citations

References

* * {{cite book , editor-last=Saunders , editor-first=Stephen , year=2009 , title=Jane's Fighting Ships 2009–2010 , publisher=Jane's Information Group Inc. , edition=112 , location=Alexandria, Virginia , isbn=978-0-7106-2888-6 Ships of the Royal Saudi Navy Auxiliary replenishment ship classes