 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | La Motte-Picquet |
| Namesake | Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte |
| Builder | Brest arsenal |
| Laid down | 12 February 1982 |
| Launched | 6 February 1985 |
| Commissioned | 18 February 1988 |
| Decommissioned | 13 October 2020[1] |
| Status | Retired |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class & type | Georges Leygues-classfrigate |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 139 m (456 ft) |
| Beam | 14 m (45 ft 11 in) |
| Draught | 5.7 m (18 ft 8 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 30knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Range | 9,500 nmi (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys | 2 × Syllexchaff launchers |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 2 ×Westland Lynxhelicopters |
| Aviation facilities | Doublehangar |
La Motte-Picquet was one of sevenF70 typeguided-missile frigates built for theFrench Navy during the 1980s. Completed in 1988, she served during the Cold War. The ship was decommissioned in October 2020.[2]
TheGeorges Leygues-class ships were designed asanti-submarine (ASW) escorts for the fleet.[3] They had anoverall length of 139 metres (456 ft), abeam of 14 m (45 ft 11 in) and adraught of 5.7 m (18 ft 8 in). The ships had astandard displacement of 3,830tonnes (3,770long tons) and 4,580 tonnes (4,510 long tons) atfull load.[4] Based on experience with the earlier ships in theclass,La Motte-Picquet had her bridge (nautical) raised one level and 210 t (210 long tons) ofballast was added to improve herstability.[5] TheGeorges Leyguess' propulsion machinery used aCODOG configuration with oneSEMT-Pielstick 16PA6-V280diesel engine and aRolls-Royce Olympus TM3Bgas turbine were coupled to each of the twopropeller shafts. The diesels were used for speeds under 21knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) and the gas turbines for sprints up to 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph). The diesels were rated at a total of 12,800metric horsepower (12,600 bhp; 9,400 kW) and the turbines at a total of 46,200 shp (46,800 PS; 34,500 kW).[4] The combination give the ships a range of 9,500nautical miles (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph). The frigates had a complement of 216 sailors.[3]
The primary anti-ship weapon of theGeorges Leyguess consisted of four single box launchers for MM40Exocetanti-ship missiles, located aft of thefunnel with two launchers on eachbroadside. The frigates were designed with a single100-millimetre (3.9 in) Modèle 1968dual-purpose gun in a single-gun turret forward of thesuperstructure. They were also equipped with two 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were fitted with a octupleCrotaleanti-aircraft missile launcher with 26 reloads located on the aft superstructure. Theanti-submarine| (ASW) weapons of theGeorges Leygues-class ships consisted of twotorpedo launchers , one on each side of the ship. Each ship carried ten torpedoes. The ships were designed to carry helicopters, a pair ofWestland Lynx ASW helicopters in a doublehangar at the stern.[3][4]
They were completed with a DRBV 51Csearch radar, a DRBC 32Efire-control radar and a DRBV 26early-warning radar. For anti-submarine warfare, they were equipped with a DUBV 23B hull-mountedsonar and DUBV 43B towedvariable depth sonar. For electronic defence, the vessels mounted two Syllexchaff launchers. The SENIT 4 tactical data system coordinated sensor data.[3][4]
In March 2016,La Motte-Picquet shadowed theRussian destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov, an oiler and a tugboat as it passed near French waters.[6] The following monthLa Motte-Picquet was part of the Anglo-French CJEF exercise.[7]
Media related toLa Motte-Picquet (D645) at Wikimedia Commons