Penguin
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Italy is retiring 8 Meastrale class frigates, the oldest dating back to 1982, the newest to 1985. About the same age as any Perry's. But over the years OHPs were modernized and the Meastrale weren't....
In addition, even though some here already discarted the new South Korean 2300 ton FFX Inchon frigates as an option, also consider:
Perhaps it may be possible to pick up some of the niine 2350 ton Ulsan frigates (1x 1981, 8x 1985-90) or of the tweny-one 1200 ton Pohang class corvettes (flight 2: 1984-86; flight 3: 1986-88; flight 4: 1990-91; flight 5: 1991-93) as they are retired in the coming years ROKN already earmarked a flight 2 Pohang retired in 2011 for donation to Columbia. So, who knows...The FFX project aims to replace the Ulsan class frigates and Donghae/Pohang class corvettes with new 2,300-ton frigates. The total number of the ships to be built is 20 to 24 by 2020 and the first batch of six new frigates are planned to be commissioned by 2015, and another fourteen commissioned by 2018.[66] Hyundai Heavy Industries will build the lead ship that is planned to enter service in 2011.[67] These frigates will be armed with the American-made Phalanx CIWS system and the rolling airframe missile system, and they will each carry a Westland Lynx anti-submarine warfare helicopter
For both the Ulsan and Pohang classes, it wouldn't be too difficult to remove the rear 76mm and install at least a heli flight deck (you might even add a telescopic hangar one the lager Ulsan after also removing 2 twin 40mm). The forward twin 40mm can be swapped out for RAM or the RAM-like Chinese FL-3000N or even e.g. the lighter Turkish Avelsan Bora pedestal mounted Stinger. Or leave the twin forty and work in a distributed number of the smaller naval Stinger launcher they have available for MRTP. Depending on flight, the Pohangs have 2x1 MM-38 Exocet or 2x2 RGM-84 Harpoon. The Ulsan's has 2x4 RGM-84 Harpoon. I don't see why these could not be swapped out for a 2x1 or maybe even 2x2 C-803 in the Pohangs and 2x4 on the Ulsan, should there develop an issue around Exocets or Harpoons.
The Italian Meastrale ships carry all Italian arms, including Aspide SAM and Teseo Otomat AShM . You're looking mainly at sensors and command system upgrades there, Maybe something small like a Avelsan's MRTP oriented remote twin Stinger-launcher to cover the rear better than today with existing weapon systems.