João Coutinho-class corvette

	NRP António Enes, a João Coutinho-class corvette entering the port of Horta
Class overview
Name	João Coutinho class
Builders	Bazán, Cartagena (Spain); Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (West Germany)
Operators	Portuguese Navy
Preceded by	João Belo class
Succeeded by	Baptista de Andrade class
Built	1968–1971
In commission	1970–present
Completed	6
Active	1
Retired	5
General characteristics
Type	Frigate/corvette
Displacement	1,252 t (1,232 long tons) standard; 1,401 t (1,379 long tons) full load;
Length	84.6 m (277 ft 7 in) oa; 81.0 m (265 ft 9 in) pp;
Beam	10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
Draught	3.3 m (10 ft 10 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft, 2 OEW Pielstick diesel engines, 7,870 kW (10,560 bhp)
Speed	24.4 knots (45.2 km/h; 28.1 mph)
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Troops	34 Marines
Complement	93
Sensors and ; processing systems	Western Electric AN/SPG-34 fire-control radar; Kelvin Hugues surface search radar; MLA-1B air search radar; QCU-2 sonar;
Armament	1 × twin 3 in (76 mm)/50 calibre Mk 33 guns; 1 × twin 40 mm (1.6 in)/L70 Bofors guns; Hedgehog ASW mortar; 2 × depth charge throwers; 2 × depth charge racks (removed in 1987);

The João Coutinho-class corvettes were a series of warships built for the Portuguese Navy for service in Portugal's African and Indian colonies. Initially rated as frigates, they were downgraded first to corvettes and then patrol vessels with age. They were designed in Portugal by naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira, but the urgent need of their services in the Portuguese Colonial War meant that the construction of the ships was assigned to foreign shipyards. Six ships were built; the first three ships were built by Blohm & Voss and the remaining three by Empresa Nacional Bazán. The ships were launched in 1970 and 1971. The relative cheap cost of the design led to it being the basis of several other classes in other navies. From 1970 until the end of the conflict in 1975, the corvettes were used for patrol and fire-support missions in Angola, Mozambique, Guinea and Cape Verde. After the African colonies gained their independence, the corvettes were assigned to patrol duties in Portuguese territorial waters.

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