French frigate Surcouf

History
France
NameSurcouf
NamesakeRobert Surcouf
Laid down6 July 1992
Launched3 July 1993
Commissioned7 February 1997
Identification
Honours and
awards
Flies the FFL jack in honour of the submarine Surcouf
StatusIn active service
General characteristics
Class and typeLa Fayette-class frigate
Displacement
  • 3,200 tonnes
  • 3,600 tonnes fully loaded
Length125 m (410 ft 1 in)
Beam15.4 m (50 ft 6 in)
Draught4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)
Propulsion4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 12PA6V280 STC2, 21,000 hp (16,000 kW)
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement164+[1]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × Air/Surface DRBV 15C sentry radar
  • 1 × firing control radar for the 100 mm gun
  • 1 × DRBN34 navigation radar
  • 1 × DRBN34 landing radar
  • 1 x BlueWatcher sonar[2]
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • 1 × Saïgon ARBG 1 radio interceptor
  • 1 × ARBR 21 radar interceptor
  • 2 × Dagaie Mk2 chaff launcher
  • 1 × AN/SLQ-25 Nixie tugged noise maker
  • 1 × Prairie-Masker noise reduction system
  • 1 × Syracuse II
  • 1 × Inmarsat
Armament
ArmourOn sensitive areas (munition magazine and control centre)
Aircraft carried1 × helicopter (Panther or NH90)

Surcouf (F711) is a La Fayette-class frigate of the French Navy. Construction began at Lorient Naval Dockyard on 6 July 1992, launched 3 July 1993, and the ship was commissioned May 1996. Since entering service, Surcouf has taken part in numerous missions, notably in Operation Antilope (Gabon and Congo), Operation Trident (Kosovo) and Mission Khor Anga in the Djibouti zone.

  1. ^ "La Fayette Class Frigate". Naval Technology. 3 May 2001.
  2. ^ "Euronaval: Naval Group Starts Upgrade Work on la Fayette-class frigates". 23 October 2020.
  3. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (15 May 2023). "La frégate Surcouf anonymisée et équipée de systèmes Simbad". Mer et Marine.