10 Biggest & Most Powerful Frigates in the World

The biggest frigates protect merchant vessels and other ships from threats at the high seas. They are smaller than destroyers but fast and loaded with modern weaponry and sensors to carry out multiple tasks and operations.

The term frigate has been used since the end of the 15th century, and Medee, constructed in 1741, is said to be the first true frigate.

Frigates are an important part of a country’s naval forces. They are usually used as escort ships to safeguard sea lines of communication or as an auxiliary component of a strike group.

Read along to know about the 10 biggest and most powerful frigates in the world.

1. Admiral Gorshkov, Russia

Also known as Project 22350, the Admiral Gorshkov is a class of Frigates in the Russian naval force.

One of the biggest frigates, they are being constructed in Saint Petersburg, with each ship costing 250 million dollars. Incorporating stealth technology, these ships designed by Severnoye Design Bureau can perform long-range strikes, carry out escort missions and conduct anti-submarine warfare.

Ten ships of the class were ordered in 2020 and will be delivered by 2027. The lead ship, also called Admiral Gorshkov, was commissioned in 2018 and is a part of the 43rd Missile Ship Division at Severomorsk.

It is 135 m long,16 m wide, with a 4.5 m draught. The frigate can attain a speed of 29.5 knots and has a range of 4850 nautical miles.

With a displacement of 5400 tonnes, this is one of the biggest and most powerful frigates. It is equipped with advanced sensors and electronic warfare systems, naval guns, cruise missiles and anti-submarine missiles.

2. Aquitaine, France

Aquitaine is the lead ship of her class of frigates, which were developed as a part of a joint Franco-Italian program called FREMM, that was brought about to manufacture a class of frigates which could be used by several European Navies.

Her construction started in 2007, and it was completed and commissioned in 2012.

One of the largest frigates, it has a 6,000-ton displacement and is 142 m long and 19.8 m wide. It has a Héraklès multi-purpose passive electronically scanned array radar and CAPTAS-4 towed-array sonar UMS 4110 CL hull-mounted sonar.

Its armaments include a super rapid gun, 3 Narwhal remote weapon systems, air defense missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles and 2 twin launchers for MU90 torpedoes.

3. Type 054A, China

Also called the Jiangkai II, this class of guided-missile frigate from China is a successor to the Type 054 frigate. They are said to be one of the biggest frigates in the world, thanks to their technological prowess.

The Type 054 A has medium-range air defense capability due to its Type 382 radar and vertically launched HHQ-16 surface-to-air missiles.

The first frigate of this class, the Xuzhou, was laid down in 2005 and entered service in 2008. 40 ships of this class are in active service with the Chinese navy.

These ships are 134 m long, 16 m wide and have a draught of 5 m. They have a speed of 27 knots and a range of 3800 nautical miles at 18 knots.

It includes anti-ship missiles, close-in weapon systems (CIWS), and a main gun for close-range defense.

4. HNLMS De Ruyter, The Netherlands

This De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy was laid down in 2000 and commissioned in 2004.

In 2018, she became the flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, and in 2020, she participated in a joint training operation with the Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta involving various scenarios at sea.

In its upgrade, the ship was fitted with an improved Thales SMART-L multi-mission radar, which can spot incoming ballistic missiles.

It has a displacement of 6050 tonnes and a speed of 30 knots, along with a Complement of 174. The frigate is 144.2 m long, with an 18.8 m beam and a 5.18 m draft.

It also has 2 Wärtsilä 16 V26 marine diesel engines, 2 Rolls-Royce Marine Spey SM 1C gas turbines, and 2 propeller shafts.

The frigate has machine guns, surface-to-air missiles, 8 harpoon anti-ship missiles and torpedo launchers.

5. INS Nilgiri, India

This is the lead ship of the Nilgiri-class of stealth guided missile frigates, which are being constructed by the Mazagon Shipyard Dock Limited for the Indian Navy.

Said to be one of the largest frigates, it was commissioned on 15th January 2025. Other ships of this class are also endowed with low-observability technologies and new radar-absorbing coatings.

They are fitted with a 76 mm main gun, 2 30 mm AK-630M anti-aircraft artillery systems, 2 torpedo tubes, launchers for 8 Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles and 32 Barak- surface to air missiles. Its main radar is the MF-STAR by IAI.

The frigate has a displacement of 6670 tonnes and is 149 m long, 17.8 m wide, with a draft of 5.22 m. It has a speed of 28 knots, a 5500 nm range and a crew of 226 sailors.

6. JS Mogami, Japan

It is a part of the Mogami-class frigates of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and was named after the Mogami River. It also shares its name with a Second World War heavy cruiser, Mogami and a Cold War destroyer escort Mogami.

The frigate was commissioned in April 2022 and deployed to Yokosuka Naval Base. It has a full load displacement of 5,500 tonnes and is 132 m long and 16 m wide. It can attain a speed of 30 knots and has a crew of 90.

It has a Mk-45 Mod 4 naval gun, 2 missile canisters for 8 Type 17 anti-ship missiles, 1 SeaRAM, Type 12 torpedoes, and a hangar for one helicopter.

7. Carlo Bergamini, Italy

This frigate is a part of the Italian Navy and was commissioned in 2013. It has a displacement of 6700 tonnes, is 144.6 m long, 19.7 m wide and has a draught of 8.7 m.

One of the biggest frigates, it has a speed of 27 knots and a range of 6800 nautical miles, with a complement of 199.

It has a Leonardo Kronos Grand Naval (MFRA) Active electronically scanned array radar, a CAPTAS-4 towed-array sonar and a UMS 4110 CL hull-mounted sonar.

Its armament includes 16-cell MBDA SYLVER A50 VLS for 16 MBDA Aster 15 and 30 missiles 1 Leonardo Otobreda 127/64 Vulcano, 2 Leonardo Oto Melara/Oerlikon KBA 25/80 mm remote weapon systems, 8 MBDA Teseo\Otomat Mk-2/A anti-ship and land attack missiles, 2 triple Leonardo B-515/3 launcher for MU 90 torpedoes and 2 acoustic guns.

8. HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen, Norway

One of the largest and most powerful frigates of the Royal Norwegian Navy, it was commissioned in 2006 and is the lead ship of the Fridtjof Nansen class of warships.

It has a displacement of 5290 tonnes, a length of 134 m, a 16.8 m beam and a 7.6 m draft. The frigate has a speed of 27 knots and a range of 4500 nm with a complement of 120.

The frigate boasts Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1F 3-D multifunction radar, Reutech RSR 210N air/sea surveillance radar, Sagem Vigy 20 Electro Optical Director and MRS 2000 hull mounted sonar.

It also has 8 naval strike missile SSMs, 4 torpedo tubes for sting ray torpedoes, 1 OTO Melara super rapid gun and much more.

9. Sachsen, Germany

This is the lead ship of the Sachsen-class frigates of the German Navy, having a displacement of 5800 tonnes, a length of 143 m, a 17.44 m beam and a 6 m draught.

This frigate can reach speeds of up to 29 knots and has a range of 4000 nm.

It boasts a Thales Nederland SMART-L long-range air and surface surveillance radar, 2 STN Atlas 9600-M multi-function I/J band ARPA radars, 1 STN Atlas MSP 500 electro-optical fire control system and 1 STN Atlas DSQS-24B bow sonar.

It also has a Compact dual-purpose gun, 2 Mauser MLG 27 27 mm autocannons, surface-to-air missiles, 4 SMG Heavy Machine Guns, 2 RAM launchers with 21 surface-to-air/CIWS-missiles each, 2 quadruple Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers, and 2 triple torpedo launchers with EuroTorp MU90 Impact torpedoes.

10. Cristóbal Colón, Spain

It is the last ship of the Alvaro de Bazan-class of air defense frigates, which are a part of the Spanish Navy. One of the biggest frigates, it is named after Christopher Colombus and is considered to be the most modern vessel of the Spanish naval forces.

Its design incorporates many improvements compared to other ships of the class. The frigate has new Bravo 16V engines, which increase its maximum speed.

It has two 25mm Mk 38 guns for close defense, a new electronic and submarine warfare control system, Aries surface surveillance radar, improved communications and control systems, SPY-1 radar improvements, etc. It can also operate with NH 90 helicopters by expanding the hangar and the flight deck.

It has a displacement of 6391 tonnes, a length of 146.7 m, a beam of 18.6 m and a 7.8 m draft. The frigate can attain a speed of 28.5 knots and has a 4500 nm range with a complement of 216.

Conclusion

Frigates have evolved over centuries and become some of the most versatile and powerful ships in the modern naval fleets, boosting maritime security. Cutting edge designs like Russia’s Admiral Gorshkov-class and upcoming constellation-class of the U.S are examples of fine naval engineering, combining stealth features with smooth operations.

The biggest and most powerful frigates bridge the gap between small corvettes and large destroyers. Whether anti-submarine warfare, escort missions or air defense, frigates are indispensable assets in maintaining global maritime security.

You might also like to read-

• 10 Biggest and Most Powerful Destroyer Ships In The World
• What are Passenger Ships?
• Types of Ships in Merchant Navy
• Different Types of Cruise Ships Explained