Built as a corvette by the AFNE, Rio Santiago yard at Ensenada, Argentine for the Argentinean Navy.
01 August 1979 the construction of the vessel was authorized by the Argentinean Government.
01 April 1981 keel laid down.
04 March 1983 launched as the ARA ROSALES (42), christened by Mrs. Beatriz Van Doorn de Hughes. She is one of the MEKO 140A16 Espora class. She is the firth ship what carried the name ROSALES in the Argentine Navy, named after Colonel Leonardo Rosales.
Displacement 1,470 ton standard, 1,790 ton full load, dim.91.2 x 11.1 x 4.5m. (draught)
Powered by two Semt-Pielstick 16 PC2-5 V diesel engines, 20,400 hp, twin shafts, speed 27 knots.
Range by a speed of 18 knots, 4,000 miles.
Armament: 1 Otto Melara 76mm gun. 2 –double mounts Breda Bofors 40mm guns. 2 – MG 12.7mm.
4 – Exocet MM38 missile launchers. 2 – 324 mm torpedo tubes for firing Whitehead AS-244 anti-submarine torpedoes.
One Alouette III helicopter.
Crew 100.
14 November 1986 delivered to the navy.
24 March 1987 commissioned.
The design of the class is from the German yard Blohm & Voss and many parts for the building were supplied by that yard.
February 1991 as a unit of the Task Group 88.1 she took part in the Coalition of the Gulf War in the blockade of Iraq, following the invasion of Kuwait.
During Operation Desert Shield and Dessert Storm was she used as patrol and escort vessel.
July 1991 she returned to Argentina.
Took then part in several naval exercises and patrol duties in Argentinean waters.
13 February 1992 when assisting the Argentinean fishing vessel ESTRELLA I she intercepted in illegal fishing Japanese fishing vessel DAITO MARU in San Matias Gulf.
12 April 1992 she captured the Chinese fishing vessel KAO HSIUN which was also fishing illegally.
1996 She repatriated the remains of Col. Rosales from Carmelo, Uruguay to Punta Alta.
1997 Together with her sister the ARA PARKER (P-44) participated in the 75th Anniversary of the South African Navy at Capetown.
2004 Used together with ARA PARKER to instruct cadets of the Naval Academy while the normally used ship the ARA LIBERTAD (Q2) underwent modernization.
2008 Made an other voyage to South Africa to participate in naval exercise there together with ARA ROBINSON and the tanker ARA INGENIERO JULIO KRAUSE (B-13).
2012 In service.
Argentine 1996 $0.50 sg2494, scott1942
Source: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARA_Rosales_(P-42) http://www.histarmar.com.ar/Armada%20Ar ... eko140.htm