French frigate La Fayette

La Fayette is a general purpose stealth frigate of the French Navy (Marine Nationale).[11] She is the second French vessel named after the 18th century general Marquis de Lafayette. She is the lead ship of the class.[12]

For other ships with the same name, see French ship La Fayette.
History
France
NameLa Fayette
NamesakeMarquis de Lafayette
Laid down15 December 1990
Launched13 June 1992
Commissioned22 March 1996
HomeportToulon
Statusin active service
General characteristics
Class and typeLa Fayette-class frigate
Displacement
  • 3,280 t (3,230 long tons)
  • 3,680 t (3,620 long tons) fully loaded[1]
Length125 m (410 ft 1 in)
Beam15.4 m (50 ft 6 in)
Draught4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)
Propulsion4 × SEMT Pielstick 12PA6V280 STC2 diesel engines, 21,000 hp (16,000 kW)
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement170+;[2][3]197 reported embarked for 2023 global deployment[4]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × Air/Surface DRBV 15C sentry radar
  • 1 x SENIT FLF combat management system (replaced previous Thales TAVITAC CMS during 2021–22 refit)[5]
  • 1 × firing control radar for the 100 mm gun
  • 1 × DRBN34 navigation radar
  • 1 × DRBN34 landing radar
  • 1 x KingKlip Mk 2 hull-mounted sonar (fitted during 2021-22 refit)
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • 1 × Saïgon ARBG 1 radio interceptor
  • 1 × ARBR 21 radar interceptor
  • 2 × Dagaie Mk2 chaff launcher
  • 1 × AN/SLQ-25 Nixie tugged noise maker
  • 1 × Prairie-Masker noise reduction system
  • 1 × Syracuse II
  • 1 × Inmarsat
  • CANTO anti-torpedo countermeasures (fitted during 2021-22 refit)[6][7][8]
Armament
ArmourOn sensitive areas (munition magazine and control centre)
Aircraft carried1 × helicopter (Panther or NH90)

Upgrade

La Fayette began a major life extension upgrade in October 2021. The upgrade is designed to permit the frigate to operate through the 2020s and into the 2030s and incorporates the addition of hull-mounted sonar, improved point air defence systems, the CANTO anti-torpedo countermeasures system, as well as the capacity to deploy the latest variant of the Exocet anti-ship missile.[13][5] The frigate returned to sea for testing of her new systems in May 2022 and was declared fully operational again in November 2022.[14] She is to remain active until 2031.[15][16]

Career Post-Upgrade

In February 2023, the frigate was tasked to initiate an around the world deployment accompanying the helicopter assault ship Dixmude. The deployment was to involve a series of exercises and port calls enroute. According to the commander of the mission, Captain Emmanuel Mocard, La Fayette possesses improved sea-keeping and endurance following her upgrade and the scope of the planned deployment would not have been feasible prior to her refit.[17] The frigate returned to Toulon in July.[18]

References
  1. Groizeleau, Vincent (28 November 2022). "La frégate La Fayette de nouveau opérationnelle après sa rénovation". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  2. Vavasseur, Xavier (3 February 2023). "French Mission Jeanne D'Arc 2023 To Sail Across Indo-Pacific". Naval News.
  3. "La Fayette Class Frigate". Naval Technology. 3 May 2001.
  4. Ozberk, Tayfun (9 February 2023). "French LHD And Frigate Set Sails For Deployment Around The World". Naval News.
  5. Vavasseur, Xavier (18 October 2021). "First Upgraded la Fayette-class Frigate back into the French Fleet". Naval News.
  6. Manaranche, Martin (31 July 2021). "Video: French Navy's La Fayette-Class Frigate Mid-Life Update". Naval News. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  7. Vavasseur, Xavier (18 July 2019). "Naval Group Ready To Produce CANTO Anti-Torpedo System In Australia". Naval News. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  8. Vavasseur, Xavier (17 October 2022). "Here Is Naval Group's New Torpedo Decoy Launcher". Naval News. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  9. Vavasseur, Xavier (17 October 2022). "First Exocet MM40 Block 3c Missiles Set For December Delivery". Naval News. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  10. Groizeleau, Vincent (15 April 2021). "Première FLF rénovée, la frégate Courbet remise à l'eau". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  11. Lavers, Christopher (2012). Reeds Vol 14: Stealth Warship Technology. Reeds Marine Engineering and Technology Series. Thomas Reed Publications. p. 134. ISBN 9781408175538.
  12. "FS La Fayette (F710) Light Stealth Frigate Warship (1996)". MilitaryFactory.com. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  13. Manaranche, Martin (31 July 2021). "Video: French Navy's La Fayette-Class Frigate Mid-Life Update". Naval News. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  14. "Toulon : Mise en service opérationnel de la frégate La Fayette rénovée". Press Agence (in French). 24 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  15. "Rénovée, la frégate la Fayette reprend la mer". Mer et Marine (in French). 19 May 2022.
  16. "Marine nationale : les programmes qui vont façonner la future flotte française". Mer et Marine (in French). 1 February 2021.
  17. Vavasseur, Xavier (3 February 2023). "French Mission Jeanne D'Arc 2023 To Sail Across Indo-Pacific". Naval News.
  18. Groizeleau, Vincent (17 July 2023). "Jeanne d'Arc : le PHA Dixmude et la frégate La Fayette sont rentrés à Toulon". Mer et Marine.
  19. Rayner, Jonathan (2013). The Naval War Film: Genre, History and National Cinema. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9781847796257.
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