La Fayette-class frigate

The French frigate Surcouf
Class overview
NameLa Fayette class
BuildersDNCS
Operators
Preceded byFloréal class
Succeeded byFrégate de Défense et d'Intervention
Subclasses
  • Al Riyadh class (Saudi Arabia)
  • Formidable class (Singapore)
  • Kang Ding class (Republic of China (Taiwan))
In commission1996–present
Completed20
Active20
General characteristics
TypeGeneral purpose frigate
Displacement
  • 3,200 t (3,100 long tons; 3,500 short tons)
  • 3,800 t (3,700 long tons; 4,200 short tons) fully loaded
Length125 m (410 ft 1 in)
Beam15.4 m (50 ft 6 in)
Draught4.1 m (13 ft 5 in)
Propulsion4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 12PA6V280 STC2, 21,000 hp (16,000 kW)
Speed25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range
  • 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
  • 9,000 nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Endurance50 days of food
Boats & landing
craft carried		2 × ETN boats
Capacity350 t (340 long tons; 390 short tons) of fuel, 80 m3 (2,800 cu ft) of kerosene, 60 t (59 long tons; 66 short tons) of potable water
Complement164+;[1] around 6 additional personnel on Courbet, La Fayette and Aconit post-upgrade[2]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × DRBN34 navigation radar
  • 1 × DRBN34 landing radar
  • 1 × Air/Surface DRBV 15C sentry radar
  • 1 × Thales TAVITAC combat management system (fitted to Surcouf and Guépratte)
  • 1 × SENIT FLF combat management system (replaced previous Thales TAVITAC CMS on La Fayette, Courbet and Aconit)[3]
  • 1 × firing control radar for the 100 mm gun
  • 1 × CN2 firing control radar
  • 1 × Saïgon ARBG 1 radio interceptor
  • 1 × ARBR 21 radar interceptor
  • 2 × Dagaie Mk2 AMGL-1C chaff launcher
  • CANTO anti-torpedo countermeasures (fitted to La Fayette in 2021-22 and Aconit in 2023; to be fitted to Courbet in due course)[4][5]
  • 1 × AN/SLQ-25 Nixie tugged noise maker
  • 1 × Prairie-Masker noise reduction system
  • 1 × Integrated Shipboard Communication System ISCS (SNTI 120 ch.)
  • 1 × SEAO/OPSMER Naval command support system
  • 1 × Syracuse II satellite transmission system
  • 1 × Inmarsat navigation system
  • 1 × BlueWatcher sonar (Surcouf only)[6]
  • 1 × KingKlip Mk 2 hull-mounted sonar (fitted to Courbet, La Fayette and Aconit)
Armament
ArmourOn sensitive areas (munition magazine and control centre)
Aircraft carried1 × helicopter (Panther or NH90)

The La Fayette class (also known as FL-3000 for "Frégate Légère de 3,000 tonnes", or FLF for Frégate Légère Furtive) is a class of general purpose frigates built by DCNS in the 1980s and 1990s, operated by the French Navy and three other navies. Derivatives of the type are in service in the navies of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

The ships were originally known as "stealth frigates" due to their unique stealth design at the time. Their reduced radar cross section is achieved by a clean superstructure compared to conventional designs, angled sides and radar absorbent material, a composite material of wood and glass fibre as hard as steel, light, and resistant to fire. Most modern combat ships built since the introduction of the La Fayette class have followed the same principles of stealth.

All information gathered by the onboard sensors is managed by the Information Processing System, the electronic brain of the operation centre of the ship. It is completed by an electronic command aid system.

The ships are designed to accommodate a 10-tonne (9.8-long-ton; 11-short-ton) helicopter in the Panther or NH90 range (though they are also capable of operating the Super Frelon and similar heavy helicopters). These helicopters can carry anti-ship missiles AM39 or AS15, and they can be launched during sea state five or six due to the Samahé helicopter handling system. France ordered five ships of the La Fayette class in 1988, the last of which entered service in 2001. In the French Navy, they will be incrementally superseded in "first-rank" functions by five frégates de taille intermédiaire (FTI, "intermediate size frigates") from 2024.[9][10][11]

  1. ^ "La Fayette Class Frigate". Naval Technology. 3 May 2001.
  2. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (3 February 2023). "French Mission Jeanne D'Arc 2023 To Sail Across Indo-Pacific". Naval News.
  3. ^ "First Upgraded la Fayette-class Frigate back into the French Fleet". 18 October 2021.
  4. ^ Manaranche, Martin (31 July 2021). "Video: French Navy's La Fayette-Class Frigate Mid-Life Update". Naval News. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  5. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (18 July 2019). "Naval Group Ready To Produce CANTO Anti-Torpedo System In Australia". Naval News. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  6. ^ Smaldore, Yannick (23 October 2020). "Euronaval: Naval Group Starts Upgrade Work On La Fayette-Class Frigates". navalnews.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  7. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (15 April 2021). "Première FLF rénovée, la frégate Courbet remise à l'eau". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  8. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (15 May 2023). "La frégate Surcouf anonymisée et équipée de systèmes Simbad". Mer et Marine.
  9. ^ "France accelerates the FDI frigates program". navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Update to French Military Planning Law Means New Capabilities for Lafayette Class Frigates". navyrecognition.com. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  11. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (1 February 2021). "Marine nationale : les programmes qui vont façonner la future flotte française". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 26 April 2021.