Gepard-class fast attack craft

Class overview
S79 Wiesel
Operators:	German Navy
Preceded by:	Albatros class
In service:	1982–present
In commission:	1982–present
Planned:	10
Completed:	10
Active:	4
General characteristics
Type:	Fast attack craft
Displacement:	390 t (380 long tons; 430 short tons)
Length:	57.6 m (189 ft)
Beam:	7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
Draught:	2.6 m (8 ft 6 in)
Propulsion:	4 × diesel engines, totalling 13,235 kW (17,748 hp)
Speed:	40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph)
Complement:	5 officers, 31 enlisted
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Decoy launcher HOT DOG Chaff launcher DAG 2200 Wolke
Armament:	1 × Otobreda 76 mm gun 4 × MM38 Exocet anti-ship missiles 1 × GDC RAM launcher, 21 cells 2 × MG50-1 machine guns Mine laying capability

The Type 143A Gepard class is a class of missile bearing fast attack craft (German: Schnellboot) and the only one still in service with the German Navy since 1990.

It is an evolution of the Albatros class, the main difference is the replacement of the second 76 mm gun by the RAM system. It is planned that Gepard-class vessels will gradually be supplemented by Braunschweig-class corvettes and to be replaced by a new class of corvettes in the 2020s.

The ships in class are named after small to medium sized predatory animals; Gepard is German for "cheetah".

List of ships

NATO pennant number	German pennant number	Name	Call sign	Commissioned	Decommissioned
P6121	S 71	Gepard	DRCE	7 December 1982	12 December 2014
P6122	S 72	Puma	DRCF	17 February 1983	14 December 2015
P6123	S 73	Hermelin	DRCG	28 April 1983
P6124	S 74	Nerz	DRCH	14 July 1983	31 March 2012
P6125	S 75	Zobel	DRCI	28 September 1983
P6126	S 76	Frettchen	DRCJ	16 December 1983
P6127	S 77	Dachs	DRCK	22 March 1984	31 March 2012
P6128	S 78	Ozelot	DRCL	25 May 1984	18 December 2014
P6129	S 79	Wiesel	DRCM	12 July 1984	14 December 2015
P6130	S 80	Hyäne	DRCN	13 November 1984

The "S" and the number are part of the ship's full name. When the ships were first commissioned, their designation included only the number; however, the crews petitioned for full names, and the decision was made to combine the original names with the additional animal name.

Since 1 July 2006, all ships are part of the 7. Schnellbootgeschwader (7th Fast Patrol Boat Squadron), whereas for the eight years prior the flotilla was split into (hulls S 76–S 80) 2. Schnellbootgeschwader (2nd Fast Patrol Boat Squadron), and a smaller (hulls S 71–S 75) 7. Schnellbootgeschwader. The squadron is stationed in Warnemünde, where both predecessor squadrons were also based

Gallery

S71 Gepard
Exocet launchers onboard S74 Nerz
RAM launcher onboard S74 Nerz
S 75 Zobel

Notes

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gepard class.

"Schnellboot GEPARD-Klasse" (in German). German Navy. Retrieved 10 July 2013.

Ship classes of the German Navy

Destroyers	101A Hamburg 103B Lütjens 119 Fletcher

Frigates and corvettes	120 Köln 122 Bremen 123 Brandenburg 124 Sachsen 125 Baden-Württemberg 130 Braunschweig

Fast attack craft	149 Silbermöwe 140 Jaguar 141 Seeadler 142 Zobel 143 Albatros 143A Gepard 148 Tiger

Mine warfare	320 Lindau 332 Frankenthal 333 Kulmbach 352 Ensdorf 742A Mühlhausen

Submarines	XXI Wilhelm Bauer 201 202 205B 206A 212A

Training ships	440 Deutschland

Auxiliary ships	404 Elbe 423 Oste 441 Gorch Fock 520 Barbe 702 Berlin 703 Walchensee 704 Rhön 720 Helgoland 721 Eisvogel 722 Wangerooge 738 Bottsand 751 Planet 760 Westerwald

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