Georges Leygues-class frigate

The Georges Leygues class (Type C70 AS or Type F70 AS) is a class of anti-submarine destroyers of the French Navy.[1] They are multi-role ships due to their Exocet and Crotale missile armament, making them especially suitable for the defence of strategic positions, show of force operations, or as high seas escorts. The design was initially officially known as a "corvette" with the designation C70, but were internationally labelled an "anti-submarine destroyer" (hence the "D" in the hull numbers).[2] Subsequently, the French referred to the ships as "frigates" with the designation F70.[3]

Class overview
Name: Georges Leygues class
Builders: Brest arsenal
Operators:  French Navy
Preceded by: Tourville class
Succeeded by: Aquitaine class (anti-submarine variant)
Built: 1974–1988
In commission: 10 December 1979 – present
Completed: 7
Active: 1
Retired: 6
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer
Displacement: 3,550 t (3,494 long tons)
4,500 t (4,429 long tons) full load
Length: 139 m (456 ft 0 in)
Beam: 14 m (45 ft 11 in)
Draught: 5.7 m (18 ft 8 in)
Propulsion:
  • CODOG
  • 2 × Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines, 26,000 hp (19,388 kW) each
  • 2 × SEMT Pielstick 16PA6-V280 diesel engines, 5,200 hp (3,878 kW) each
Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range: 7,400 nmi (13,700 km; 8,500 mi)
Complement: 235
Armament: Anti-ship:
4 × MM38/MM40 Exocet anti-ship missiles
Anti-submarine:
2 × fixed torpedo tubes (10 × L5 mod 4 or MU90 torpedoes)
Guns:
1 × Creusot-Loire Compact 100mm/55 Mod 68 DP gun
2 × 30 mm Breda-Mauser or 20 mm F2 anti-aircraft guns
2/4 × 12.7 machine guns
CIWS:
1 × Crotale Navale EDIR octuple launcher (26 × CIWS anti-air missiles)
2 × Simbad twin launcher (Mistral 4 × CIWS anti-air missiles)
Aircraft carried: 2 × Westland Lynx anti-ship helicopters

Design

The superstructures were built to optimise resistance to the blast from nuclear explosions. The last three ships of the class had their bridges raised one deck to overcome problems experienced by the first four in bad weather, as well as being equipped with DSBV 61 passive linear towed array sonar and several other upgraded systems.[4]

The Georges Leygues-class frigate Latouche-Tréville departing Portsmouth Naval Base, UK, 21 September 2009.

Ships in class
Georges Leygues-class frigates
Name Pennant number Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned/Status
Georges Leygues D 640 Arsenal de Brest 16 September 1974 17 December 1976 10 December 1979 21 March 2014[3]
Dupleix D 641 17 October 1975 2 December 1978 13 June 1981 July 2015
Montcalm D 642 5 December 1975 31 May 1980 28 May 1982 3 July 2017[5]
Jean de Vienne D 643 26 October 1979 17 November 1981 25 May 1984 9 January 2019
Primauguet D 644 17 November 1981 17 March 1984 5 November 1986 1 April 2019
Lamotte-Picquet D 645 12 February 1982 6 February 1985 18 February 1988 November 2020[6]
Latouche-Treville D 646 15 February 1984 19 March 1988 16 July 1990 In service

See also

References
  1. Avery, Derek (1987). Modern Warships. London: Collins. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0-00-458855-X.
  2. Ireland, Bernard (1984). Navies of the West. London: Ian Allan. p. 26. ISBN 0-71-101339-X.
  3. "Retrait définitif du service pour la frégate Georges Leygues" (in French). ActuNautique.com. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  4. Miller, David; Chris Miller (1986). Modern Naval Combat. USA: Salamandar Books. pp. 100–101. ISBN 0-517-61350-6.
  5. "La frégate Montcalm a tiré sa révérence" (in French). 2017-07-07. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  6. https://www.facebook.com/seawavesmag/posts/10158614500621250
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