Saudi frigate Al Dammam
# Saudi frigate Al Dammam

Al Dammam (816) is an Al Riyadh-class frigate of the Royal Saudi Navy.

## Development and design

The frigate Al Dammam, is an expanded anti-air version of the French La Fayette class, displacing about 4,700 t (5,181 short tons) and extended to 133 m (436 ft 4 in) in length.

The ships' combat system, produced by Armaris (a Direction des Constructions Navales/Thales Group joint venture), is armed with Aster 15 Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) launched from SYLVER vertical launchers (SYLVER - SYstème de Lancement VERtical). As with the La Fayette class, the primary offensive weapon is the anti-surface Exocet missile. The ships' main gun is the OTO Melara 76 mm super-rapid firing gun replacing the modèle 100 TR automatic gun of the La Fayette. There are also four aft-mounted 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, firing DTCN F17 heavyweight anti-submarine torpedoes. Al Riyadh is capable of a maximum speed of ~46 kilometres per hour (29 mph; 25 kn) with a maximum range of 13,000 kilometres (8,078 mi; 7,019 nmi).

## Construction and career

Al Dammam was launched on 7 September 2002 at the DCNS shipyard in Lorient and commissioned on 23 October 2004.

## Al Riyadh-class frigates

Three Al Riyadh-class frigates have been built:

### Al Riyadh (812)

    the lead ship commissioned in 2002

### Makkah (814)

    commissioned in 2004

### Al Dammam (816)

    commissioned in 2004
