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)

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]

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. 1 2 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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