Georges Leygues-class frigate

	Montcalm
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 – 1 July 2022
Completed	7
Retired	7
General characteristics
Type	Frigate
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 x MM38 Exocet anti-ship missiles ; Units from D642 subsequently upgraded to 8 x MM40 Exocet; Anti-submarine:; 2 × fixed torpedo tubes (10 × L5 mod 4 or MU90 torpedoes); Guns:; 1 × Creusot-Loire Compact 100 mm/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 (retired 2020); From 2020: AS565 Panther or Alouette III (on remaining vessel D646)

The Georges Leygues class (Type C70 AS or Type F70 AS) was a class of anti-submarine destroyers of the French Navy.^[3] They were 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).^[4] Subsequently, the French referred to the ships as "frigates" with the designation F70.^[5]

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.^[6]

Ships in class

Georges Leygues-class frigates
Name	Pennant number	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Decommissioned
Georges Leygues	D 640	Arsenal de Brest	16 September 1974	17 December 1976	10 December 1979	21 March 2014^[5]
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^[7]
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
La Motte-Picquet	D 645		12 February 1982	6 February 1985	18 February 1988	13 October 2020^[8]
Latouche-Tréville	D 646		15 February 1984	19 March 1988	16 July 1990	1 July 2022^[9]

References

^ "Georges Leygues class anti-submarine destroyer Type F70 ASW Anti-submarine Frigate Frégates anti-sous-marins FASM D640 D641 D642 D643 D644 D645 D646 DUBV-43 DSBV-61 Marine Nationale French Navy DCNS datasheet pictures photos video specifications". navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
^ Grolleau, Henri-Pierre (5 July 2019). "French Navy brings forward Lynx retirement". Janes.com. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
^ Avery, Derek (1987). Modern Warships. London: Collins. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0-00-458855-X.
^ Ireland, Bernard (1984). Navies of the West. London: Ian Allan. p. 26. ISBN 0-71-101339-X.
^ ^a ^b "Retrait définitif du service pour la frégate Georges Leygues" (in French). ActuNautique.com. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
^ Miller, David; Miller, Chris (1986). Modern Naval Combat. USA: Salamandar Books. pp. 100–101. ISBN 0-517-61350-6.
^ Groizeleau, Vincent (2017-07-07). "La frégate Montcalm a tiré sa révérence". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 2017-07-07.
^ "La Motte-Picquet : dernière cérémonie des couleurs à Brest". Mer et Marine (in French). 15 October 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
^ Groizeleau, Vincent (5 July 2022). "Fin du Latouche-Tréville : la Marine nationale tourne la page des frégates du type F70". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 6 July 2022.

External links

ASM type F70 – Marine nationale official site (in French)

[1] "Georges Leygues class anti-submarine destroyer Type F70 ASW Anti-submarine Frigate Frégates anti-sous-marins FASM D640 D641 D642 D643 D644 D645 D646 DUBV-43 DSBV-61 Marine Nationale French Navy DCNS datasheet pictures photos video specifications". navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 15 June 2021.

[2] Grolleau, Henri-Pierre (5 July 2019). "French Navy brings forward Lynx retirement". Janes.com. Retrieved 15 June 2021.

[avery-3] Avery, Derek (1987). Modern Warships. London: Collins. pp. 80–81. ISBN 0-00-458855-X.

[4] Ireland, Bernard (1984). Navies of the West. London: Ian Allan. p. 26. ISBN 0-71-101339-X.

[a1-5] "Retrait définitif du service pour la frégate Georges Leygues" (in French). ActuNautique.com. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.

[6] Miller, David; Miller, Chris (1986). Modern Naval Combat. USA: Salamandar Books. pp. 100–101. ISBN 0-517-61350-6.

[7] Groizeleau, Vincent (2017-07-07). "La frégate Montcalm a tiré sa révérence". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 2017-07-07.

[8] "La Motte-Picquet : dernière cérémonie des couleurs à Brest". Mer et Marine (in French). 15 October 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2021.

[9] Groizeleau, Vincent (5 July 2022). "Fin du Latouche-Tréville : la Marine nationale tourne la page des frégates du type F70". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 6 July 2022.

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v t e Georges Leygues-class frigates
Georges Leygues Dupleix Montcalm Jean de Vienne Primauguet La Motte-Picquet Latouche-Tréville
Preceded by: Tourville class Followed by: Cassard class
List of frigates of the French Navy

Design

Ships in class

See also

References

External links