 The avisoLieutenant de vaisseau Lavallée | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | D'Estienne d'Orves class or A69 type |
| Builders | Arsenal de Lorient |
| Operators | |
| Preceded by | Commandant Rivière class |
| Succeeded by | |
| Subclasses | |
| In commission |
|
| Completed | 20 |
| Active | 8 |
| Retired | 12 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Aviso |
| Displacement | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 10.3 m (33 ft 10 in) |
| Draught |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 23.5knots (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph) |
| Range | 4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 90 |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
TheD'Estienne d'Orves-class avisos, du typaA69, is aclass ofFrench Navyavisos, comparable in size to a lightcorvette, mainly designed for coastal anti-submarine defence, but are also available for high sea escort missions, notably in support missions with theStrategic Oceanic Force (FOST). Built on a simple and robust design, they have an economical and reliable propulsion system which allows them to be used for overseas presence missions. In addition to service in France, they have been ordered by theSouth African Navy (not delivered),Argentinian Navy andTurkish Navy.
The class takes its name from the lead ship, named in honour ofHonoré d'Estienne d'Orves, a French naval officer and member of theFrench Resistance.
TheD'Estienne d'Orves-classavisos were primarily designed foranti-submarine warfare (ASW) in coastal areas and colonial coastal patrol.[4][5] They were ordered as replacements for the E 50 and E 52 typeescorteurs of theFrench Navy. The ships are built austerely and have astandard displacement of 1,100tonnes (1,100long tons) and 1,270 tonnes (1,250 long tons) at full load. The avisos are 80 metres (262 ft 6 in)long overall and 76 metres (249 ft 4 in)between perpendiculars with abeam of 10.3 metres (33 ft 10 in) and adraught of 5.3 metres (17 ft 5 in).[5]
The avisos are propelled by two shafts turningcontrollable pitch propellers powered by twoSEMT Pielstick 12 PC 2 V400diesel engines rated at 8,900kilowatts (12,000 bhp). The two engines are located in a single engine room mounted next to each other and controlled from a room abaft the machinery room. The two diesel engine system was selected due to the preference of endurance over speed. TheD'Estienne d'Orves class has a maximum speed of 23.5knots (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph) and a range of 4,500nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). All ships in the class are fitted withfin stabilisers except forCommandant Ducuing andCommandant Birot.[4][5]
The class was intended to be constructed in two groups, the A 69 and A 70 types, with the latter type fitted with twoExocet MM38surface-to-surface missiles (SSM) on either side of thefunnel, but in the end, all ships of the class were fitted with the SSMs. The ships are armed with a100 mm (3.9 in) CADAM gun turret with Najir fire control system and CMS LYNCEA, a pair of20 mm (0.8 in) modèle F2 guns and four 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine guns. For ASW operations, theD'Estienne d'Orves class mounts four fixed catapults for L3 or L5 typetorpedoes with no reloads carried and one remote-controlled sextuple 375 mm (14.8 in)rocket launcher, with 30 reloads carried in amagazine located beneath the aft deckhouse.[5]
TheD'Estienne d'Orves class is equipped with one air/surface DRBV 51A sentry radar, one DRBC 32E fire control radar one Decca 1226 navigation radar and DUBA 25 hull-mounted sonar. The DUBA 25 is situated in a fixed dome with a retractable transducer, but is designed strictly for use in coastal waters. As countermeasures the avisos have one ARBR 16 radar interceptor, two Dagaie decoy launchers and oneSLQ-25 Nixie countermeasure system, which was fitted in the mid-1980s. The ships have a complement of 90 and have space to accommodate 18 marines.[5][6]
Beyond the Nixie countermeasure system, the funnels aboard the avisos were heightened due to issues with the gases coming from them.Commandant L'Herminier had SEMT Pielstick 12 PA 6 BTC diesels with infrared suppression systems installed which led to delays into the vessel's entry into service. In 1993,Commandant Blaison andEnseigne de vaisseau Jacoubert had their rocket launchers removed and a Syracuse II satcom terminal installed. Plans were drawn up to give the two ships ahangar andflight deck for helicopters, but this was abandoned.[5]
From 2009, the remaining vessels in French service were reclassified asoffshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and, as a result, had their surface-to-surface missiles and heavy anti-submarine weapons removed.[2] The remaining vessels in the class are being incrementally withdrawn from service between 2024 and 2027.[7]
Replacement of these vessels in French service is currently planned starting from 2027 by a new class of patrol vessels.[8][9][10]
| French Navy construction data[5] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| indicatif visuel | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
| F 781 | D'Estienne d'Orves | Arsenal de Lorient,Lorient, France | 1 September 1972 | 1 June 1973 | 10 September 1976 | Decommissioned 1999, transferred to Turkey asTCGBeykoz (F-503) |
| F 782 | Amyot d'Inville | 1 September 1973 | 30 November 1974 | 13 October 1976 | Decommissioned 1999, transferred to Turkey asTCGBartın (F-504) | |
| F 783 | Drogou | 1 October 1973 | 30 November 1974 | 30 September 1976 | Decommissioned 2000, transferred to Turkey asTCGBodrum (F-501); decommissioned from Turkish service 2022 | |
| F 784 | Détroyat | 15 December 1974 | 31 January 1976 | 4 May 1977 | Decommissioned 1997,scrapped atGhent, Belgium in 2015 | |
| F 785 | Jean Moulin | 15 January 1975 | 31 January 1976 | 11 May 1977 | Decommissioned 1999, scrapped at Ghent, Belgium in 2015 | |
| F 786 | Quartier-Maître Anquetil | 1 August 1975 | 7 August 1976 | 4 February 1978 | Decommissioned 2000, transferred to Turkey asTCGBandırma (F-502) | |
| F 787 | Commandant de Pimodan | 1 September 1975 | 7 August 1976 | 20 May 1978 | Decommissioned 2000, transferred to Turkey asTCG Bozcaada (F-500) | |
| F 788 | Second-Maître Le Bihan | 1 November 1976 | 13 August 1977 | 7 July 1979 | Decommissioned 2002, transferred to Turkey asTCGBafra (F-505) | |
| F 789 | Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff | March 1977 | 16 September 1978 | 13 February 1980 | Decommissioned 2020[11] | |
| F 790 | Lieutenant de vaisseau Lavallée | 11 November 1977 | 29 May 1979 | 16 August 1980 | Decommissioned 2018 | |
| F 791 | Commandant L'Herminier | 7 May 1979 | 7 March 1981 | 19 January 1986 | Decommissioned 2018 | |
| F 792 | Premier-Maître L'Her | 15 December 1978 | 28 June 1980 | 5 December 1981 | Decommissioned June 2024;[12] sunk as a target ship in December 2024[13] | |
| F 793 | Commandant Blaison | 15 November 1979 | 7 March 1981 | 28 April 1982 | In service;retirement planned in 2027[7] | |
| F 794 | Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet | April 1979 | 29 September 1981 | 23 October 1982 | In service;retirement planned in 2026[7] | |
| F 795 | Commandant Ducuing | 1 October 1980 | 26 September 1981 | 17 March 1983 | Out of service and inactive as of June 2025[14][7][15] | |
| F 796 | Commandant Birot | 23 March 1981 | 22 May 1982 | 14 March 1984 | Decommissioned October 2025[7][16] | |
| F 797 | Commandant Bouan (ex-Commandant Levasseur) | 12 October 1981 | 23 May 1983 | 11 May 1984 | In service;retirement planned in 2026[7] | |
TheArgentine Navy also operated threeD'Estienne d'Orves-class ships, locally known as theDrummond class. The first two ships, originally namedLieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff andCommandant L'Herminier while under construction for the French Navy, were originally acquired by theSouth African Navy in 1976. In the French Navy they were replaced by new ships with the same names. The two ships were renamedGood Hope andTransvaal, but due toUN sanctions againstSouth Africa, they were not delivered and were bought by the Argentine Navy on 25 December 1978. They were renamedARA Drummond andARA Guerrico. A third ship of the class,ARA Granville, was ordered by Argentina and was delivered in 1981.[17] All vessels had been retired as of 2024.[18]
Starting in November 2000, Turkey acquired six Type A 69 avisos. They were acquired for theTurkish Navy for coastal patrol in order to release more capable Turkish ships for frontline duty. Five of the six vessels were refitted atBrest before transfer.[6]
