The MEKO 360 is a class of five destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

s built in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 for the Argentine

Argentine Navy

The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....

 and Nigerian

Nigerian Navy

The Nigerian Navy is a branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Nigerian Navy is among the largest Navies on the African continent, consisting of about 15,000 personnel, including those of the Coast Guard.-Brief History:...

 Navies. The 360 was the first ship of the MEKO

MEKO

The MEKO family of warships was developed by the German company Blohm + Voss.MEKO is a registered trademark. The portmanteau stands for "Mehrzweck-Kombination" . It is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of...

 family of vessels built by Blohm und Voss.

Variants

A single vessel of the MEKO 360H1 variant was produced for the Nigerian Navy. Called the Aradu

Aradu (F89)

Aradu is a Nigerian frigate. She is the first of the MEKO 360 General Purpose frigates built by the German Blohm + Voss company of Hamburg.The 125.6 m ship is the biggest in the Nigerian Navy...

, it is one of the largest vessels of that navy.

Four vessels of a second variant, the MEKO 360H2, were constructed for Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

. They were locally named the Almirante Brown class

Almirante Brown class destroyer

The Almirante Brown is a class of destroyers commissioned between 1983 and 1984 for the Argentine Navy. As of 2005, ARA Sarandí is the Argentinian fleet flagship.-Specifications:...

, and currently serve as the main strength in their Navy.

Although considered by its builders to be a frigate, the Almirante Brown vessels have been classed in Argentina (and in Jane's Fighting Ships) as destroyers.

See also

• F125 class frigate
  F125 class frigate
  F125 is the project name for the Type 125 Baden-Württemberg class of frigates, currently in development for the German Navy by ARGE F125, a joint-venture of Thyssen-Krupp and Lürssen...
  
   
• Sachsen class frigate
  Sachsen class frigate
  The F124 Sachsen class is Germany's latest class of highly advanced air-defense frigates. The design of the Sachsen class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features intended to deceive any opponent's radar and acoustic sensors and incorporate also the...
  
   
• Hamburg class destroyer
  Hamburg class destroyer
  The Type 101 Hamburg class was the only class of destroyers built in post-war Germany. They were specifically designed to operate in the Baltic Sea, where armament and speed are more important than seaworthiness. They were named after the "Bundesländer" of West Germany.The German shipyard...
  
   
• MEKO 140
  MEKO 140
  The MEKO 140 is a frigate design by the German Blohm + Voss shipyard as part of the MEKO family of vessels.- Concept and development :MEKO is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of maintenance and cost reduction...
  
  
• MEKO A-200 Valour
  Valour class frigate
  The South African Valour class frigates are the major surface ships of the South African Navy. Their German manufacturer designates these warships as the MEKO A-200SAN class, member of its MEKO family of naval ships...
  
  
• Halifax class frigate
  Halifax class frigate
  The Halifax-class frigate is a class of multi-role patrol frigates that have served the Royal Canadian Navy since 1992...
  
   
• Anzac class frigate
  Anzac class frigate
  The Anzac class is a ship class of ten frigates; eight operated by the Royal Australian Navy and two operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy...
  
   
• Formidable class frigate
  Formidable class frigate
  The Formidable class multi-role stealth frigates are the latest surface platforms to enter into service with the Republic of Singapore Navy, and are multi-mission derivatives of the French Navy’s La Fayette class frigate. The frigates are key information nodes and fighting units, and are described...
  
  
• La Fayette class frigate
  La Fayette class frigate
  The La Fayette class units are light multi-mission frigates built by DCN and operated by French Marine Nationale...