Bulgarian frigate Gordi

Gordi (Bulgarian: Горди, lit. 'Proud') is a Wielingen-class frigate of the Bulgarian Navy with number 43. She was originally commissioned as Westdiep in the Belgian Navy.

Westdiep in 1985
History
Belgium
NameWestdiep
BuilderCockerill Yards, Hoboken, Antwerp
Laid down2 September 1974
Launched8 December 1975
Christened20 January 1978
Decommissioned5 October 2007
HomeportZeebrugge Naval Base
Motto"Altum est Regnum Meum"
FateSold to Bulgaria in February 2008
Bulgaria
NameGordi
AcquiredFebruary 2009
StatusIn service
General characteristics
Class and typeWielingen-class frigate
Displacement2,200 tonnes
Length106.38 m (349.0 ft)
Beam12.30 m (40.4 ft)
Draught5.60 m (18.4 ft)
Propulsion
  • Combined diesel or gas turbine
  • 2 × ABC type DZC diesel engines providing 4,200 hp (3,130 kW) each
  • 1 × Rolls-Royce Olympus T M - 3 B gasturbine providing 27.575 hp (21 kW)
  • 2 inverted screws with variable pitch
Speed28 knots (52 km/h)
Range6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h)
Complement14 officers, 84 NCOs and 59 sailors
Armament

Construction and career
F911 Westdiep at Zeebrugge

Westdiep was launched on 8 December 1975 at the Cockerill Yards in Hoboken, and christened by Princess Astrid of Belgium, on 20 January 1978. The patronage of the Westdiep was accepted by the city of Sint-Niklaas. Westdiep was the second ship in the Wielingen class. She had the pennant number F911.

On 5 October 2007 Westdiep, by then the last commissioned frigate of Belgian construction in the Belgian Navy, was withdrawn from service.[1]

She was sold to the Bulgarian Navy together with her sister, Wielingen. Another sistership, Wandelaar has already been sold to Bulgaria. Westdiep entered service with them under the name Gordi, and with the pennant number 43.

Citations
  1. Silverstone 2007, p. 9.

References
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (2007). "Naval Intelligence". Warship International. Vol. 44, no. 1. pp. 9–13. ISSN 0043-0374. JSTOR 44895530.


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