Name Wielingen class Succeeded by Karel Doorman class | Preceded by Algerine class | |
 | ||
Builders Boelwerf Shipyard
Cockerill Shipyard Operators Belgian Marine Component
Bulgarian Navy In service Belgian Navy 1976–2007
Bulgarian Navy 2005– | ||
The Wielingen class is a class of four multi-functional frigates built for the Belgian Navy. The ships are named after sandbanks in the North Sea, not far from the Belgian coast, or sea routes. The lead ship is named after the Wielingen sandbank.
Contents
History
The Belgian government decided on 22 December 1970 to order four new frigates, which would be built by Belgian shipyards. These ships would replace the old escort ships of the Algerine class. The last of these left service in 1969.
Project studies had already begun in 1964 with the advice of the Dutch Navy and continued in 1971 in cooperation with the two Belgian shipyards, Boelwerf, at Temse, and Cockerill, at Hoboken, Antwerp. The construction of the ships began in 1974. The four ships, Wielingen, Westdiep, Wandelaar and Westhinder, were commissioned in the following years.
The fourth frigate, Westhinder, was decommissioned in 1993 according to the reforms of Defence Minister Leo Delcroix. She had previously been damaged during an anti-submarine exercise off the coast of Norway. The third ship, Wandelaar, followed in 2004 and was sold to the Bulgarian Navy the same year. Wielingen and Westdiep were sold to Bulgaria in 2008.