French aviso Commandant Blaison

Commandant Blaison (F793) is a D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso in the French Navy.

Commandant Blaison
History
France
NameCommandant Blaison
NamesakeGeorges Louis Nicolas Blaison
BuilderArsenal de Lorient, Lorient
Laid down15 November 1979
Launched7 March 1981
Commissioned28 April 1982
DecommissionedExpected, 2027
HomeportBrest[1]
Identification
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class and typeD'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso
Displacement
  • 1,100 t (1,100 long tons) standard
  • 1,270 t (1,250 long tons) full load
Length
  • 80 m (262 ft 6 in) oa
  • 76 m (249 ft 4 in) pp
Beam10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
Draught5.3 m (17 ft 5 in)
Propulsion
Speed23.5 knots (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph)
Range4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement90
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 Air/surface DRBV 51A sentry radar
  • 1 DRBC 32E fire control radar
  • 1 Decca 1226 navigation radar
  • 1 DUBA 25 hull sonar (removed from French ships when reclassified as OPVs)
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • 1 ARBR 16 radar interceptor
  • 2 Dagaie decoy launchers
  • 1 SLQ-25 Nixie countermeasure system
Armament

Design

Armed by a crew of 90 sailors, these vessels have the reputation of being among the most difficult in bad weather. Their high windage makes them particularly sensitive to pitch and roll as soon as the sea is formed.

Their armament, consequent for a vessel of this tonnage, allows them to manage a large spectrum of missions. During the Cold War, they were primarily used to patrol the continental shelf of the Atlantic Ocean in search of Soviet Navy submarines. Due to the poor performance of the hull sonar, as soon as an echo appeared, the reinforcement of an ASM frigate was necessary to chase it using its towed variable depth sonar.[3]

Their role as patrollers now consists mainly of patrols and assistance missions, as well as participation in UN missions (blockades, flag checks) or similar marine policing tasks (fight against drugs, extraction of nationals, fisheries control, etc.). The Exocet missiles have been landed, but they carry several machine guns which are more suited to their new missions.

Its construction cost was estimated at 270,000,000 French francs.[4]

Construction and career

Commandant Blaison was laid down on 15 November 1979 at Arsenal de Lorient, Lorient. Launched on 7 March 1981 and commissioned on 28 April 1982.

She is scheduled to be withdrawn from service in 2027 and be replaced by one of a new class of ocean-going Patrol Vessels (the Patrouilleurs Hauturiers).[5]

Citations

  1. "L'Enseigne de Vaisseau Jacoubet prend ses quartiers à Brest | Mer et Marine". 17 July 2020.
  2. "Patrouilleurs: Les avisos français sur tous les fronts" [Patrol ships: French Avisos on all fronts.]. asafrance.fr (in French). 26 January 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. "Euronaval: First details of the Patrouilleurs Océanique (PO) platform unveiled". Naval News. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  4. Quid 1996. p. 2036. ISBN 2-221-08055-6.
  5. Groizeleau, Vincent (6 May 2021). "La Marine nationale va rapidement désarmer ses derniers PHM" [The French Navy will quickly disarm its last PHM]. Mer et Marine (in French). https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/la-marine-nationale-va-rapidement-se-separer-de-ses-derniers-phm Retrieved 15 June 2021.
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