Saudi frigate Al Dammam

Al Dammam (816) is an Al Riyadh-class frigate of the Royal Saudi Navy.

Development and design
The frigate Al Dammam, is an expanded anti-air version of the French La Fayette-class frigate, displacing about 4700 tonnes and extended to 133 m in length.

The ships' combat system, produced by Armaris (a Direction des Constructions Navales/Thales Group joint venture), is armed with Aster 15 Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) launched from SYLVER vertical launchers (SYLVER - SYstème de Lancement VERtical). As with the La Fayette class, the primary offensive weapon is the anti-surface Exocet missile. The ships' main gun is the OTO Melara 76 mm super-rapid firing gun replacing the modèle 100 TR automatic gun of the La Fayette. There are also four aft-mounted 533 mm torpedo tubes, firing DTCN F17 heavyweight anti-submarine torpedoes. Al Riyadh is capable of a maximum speed of ~46 km/h with a maximum range of 13000 km.

Construction and career
Al Dammam was launched on 7 September 2002 at the DCNS shipyard in Lorient and commissioned on 23 October 2004.

Al Riyadh-class frigates
Three Al Riyadh-class frigates have been built:
 * Al Riyadh (812): the lead ship commissioned in 2002
 * Makkah (814): commissioned in 2004
 * Al Dammam (816): commissioned in 2004