View source for MEKO 140

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{{More footnotes|date=November 2021}}
{{Refimprove|date=June 2008}}
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{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=P45ARARobinson.jpg
|Ship caption=ARA ''Robinson''
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=
|Builders=[[Río Santiago Shipyard|AFNE "Río Santiago"]]
|Operators={{navy|ARG}}
|Class before=
|Class after=
|Subclasses={{sclass|Espora|corvette|4}}
|Cost=
|Built range=
|In service range=
|In commission range=1985–present
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=6
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=6
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Frigate]]/[[corvette]]
|Ship displacement=1,790 tons
|Ship length={{cvt|91.2|m|ftin}}
|Ship beam={{cvt|11.1|m|ftin}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught={{cvt|4.5|m|ftin}}
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=*2 [[Diesel engine]]s
*{{convert|20400|shp|kW|-1|abbr=on|order=flip|lk=out}}
*2 shafts/propellers
|Ship speed={{convert|27|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|4000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|18|kn}}
|Ship endurance=
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=100
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*4 × Exocet [[anti-ship missile]]s
*1 × 76 mm [[dual-purpose gun]]
*4 × 40 mm [[anti-aircraft gun]]s
*2 × .50 cal [[machine gun]]s
*6 × 324 mm [[torpedo]] tubes
|Ship armour=
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=1 [[helicopter]]
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''MEKO 140''' is a [[frigate]]/[[corvette]] design by the German [[Blohm + Voss]] shipyard as part of the [[MEKO]] family of vessels. The MEKO 140 is a development of the [[Portuguese Navy]]'s {{sclass|João Coutinho|corvette|1}}s designed by the Portuguese naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira in the late 1960s – three ships of which were built Blohm + Voss in 1970, as an outsourcing.
== Concept and development ==
MEKO is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics, and other equipment, aiming at ease of maintenance and cost reduction. Vessels of similar classes can use different weapons systems, as required by the customer. The MEKO 140 was designed in the late 1970s, and was chosen by the Argentine Navy to complement the [[MEKO 360]] destroyers.
==Variants==
Six vessels of the MEKO 140 A16 variant were constructed in [[Argentina]] by the Río Santiago Shipyards (AFNE) near [[La Plata]] for the [[Argentine Navy]]. They are locally named as the {{sclass|Espora|corvette|4}} and currently serve in the High Seas Fleet ("Flota de Mar").
Although considered by its designers to be frigates, the ''Espora''-class vessels have been classed in Argentina as corvettes.
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081205074547/http://www.ara.mil.ar/pnav_buques.asp#03 Argentine Navy (ARA) official site – class specifications & pictures] {{in lang|es}}
* [http://www.deagel.com/Corvettes-and-Missile-Boats/MEKO-140_a000699002.aspx Description of MEKO 140 concept and existing ships]
[[Category:Frigate classes]]
[[Category:Corvette classes]]
[[Category:MEKO 140 frigates| ]]