Shipbucket

Here's the sad remnants of the once proud HMS Coventry, now sailing under the Rumanian tricolor, almost a ghost of its former self, thanks to internal Rumanian political infighting, inepitude with the Rumanian naval authorities and savvy British business men. Having stripped the hull of the Coventry of nearly all usable armament, the ship was sold for an overprice to the naive Rumanian who wanted a pair of capital ships. Like the earlier Marasesti, the two, Regele Ferdinand (F221), depicted here and Regina Maria (F222) can be seen as proof of the Rumanians' almost megalomaniac, inflated self-image, much of it a lingering inheritance from the Ceausescu-era. At worst they are reduced to being huge, costly white elephants without any real role in the Rumanian Navy; at best they represent potential generously sized hulls for future rebuilding. But, where's the impoverished Rumanian state going to fund that?

Anyway, I give you the fleet flagship of the Rumanian Navy, the Regele Ferdinand (F221) as she appears today. Her only present armament is a 76 mm Oto-Melara situated in a similar fashion as that shipped by the Chilean Almirante Williams. Also the triple TTs remain along with American supplied SRBOCs chaff/flare. The helicopter is the Super Puma.

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

Those ships are quite useless then!

Yeah Alex, that's right...plus costing the Rumanian treasure money they simply don't have! I made, just out of curiosity an austere 'modernization' plane for the ships, taking into account the depleted nature of the Rumanian finances. I could post that in never-builts or as an AU, just in case anyone's interested...

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

they could still do anti piracy type ops which is bulk of modern navies work

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"There was nothing wrong with Titanic when she left the Shipyard" Tim McGarry Belfast Comedian

I always have liked the sharp bows of these ships!

Nice but (I'm slowly degrading into flag-police ) you should use the new ensign of the ships I posted in this thread, not the old Communist era state flag...

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Shipbucket mainsite, aka "The Archive"
New AU project "Aravala"

I really would like to see that modernisation

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Oops! Did I use the wrong flag???? I didn't, honestly think about that! But now I can see it! Will change it asap!

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

Fully agree
Much better to buy lightly smaller frigates of the 2000/3000 tons range (less crew-expensive, less expensive to operate, better suited for black sea ops).

Ok, changed that embarrassing flag mix-up. My apologies to possible Rumanian SB-members! For Colombamike: Yes, just look at the neighbor, Bulgaria. They were smart enough to purchase a pair of Belgian E-71s when they were put up for sale. Less than half the tonnage, but somuch more potency!

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen