Uploaded with
ImageShack.us
By the 1980s there was considerable concern about the state of the Reserve Fleet, as many of the vessels dated back to WWII, and serviceability in an actual wartime scenario was in doubt. Needing a dedicated ASW platform, the nine Medusa Klasse vessels, (all named after feminine monsters) based on the American Oliver Hazard Perry Class were constructed. Many cost cutting measures were enacted for these vessels, Ability to launch the Standard SM-1 missile was lost, replaced with a ASROC/Harpoon box launcher, and a heavier Bofors 120mm was given to the class to make it more suitable for general patrol duties. To further cut costs, older radar systems from obsolete vessels were also employed.
When introduced, the class weren't highly rated in public opinion, being referred to as "Kamaikaze Craft," and "Ten Minute Frigates" for their lack of amament. Spending most of their time in the Reserve Fleet, these vessels were reactivated and modernized in the early 2000s as the pirate problems in both the Malucca Strait and off Somalia became more of a menace. Contrary to other nation's habits for dealing with piracy, the Pallamaran books were very clear on how to deal with it, preferring the old school approach--Any pirates caught in the act were to be sunk and any surviviors to be executed. To help with response time, Landsweer gunships were embarked, even though the piracy policy was criticized by a number of nations and international organizations.
Pictured here is the class as originally delivered. I will update with a modernized version later.