French frigate La Motte-Picquet
| |
| 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 and type | Georges Leygues-class frigate |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 139 m (456 ft) |
| Beam | 14 m (45 ft 11 in) |
| Draught | 5.7 m (18 ft 8 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Range | 9,500 nmi (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys | 2 × Syllex chaff launchers |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 2 × Westland Lynx helicopters |
| Aviation facilities | Double hangar |
La Motte-Picquet was one of seven F70 type guided-missile frigates built for the French Navy during the 1980s. Completed in 1988, she served during the Cold War. The ship was decommissioned in October 2020.[2]
Design and description
[edit]The Georges Leygues-class ships were designed as anti-submarine (ASW) escorts for the fleet.[3] They had an overall length of 139 metres (456 ft), a beam of 14 m (45 ft 11 in) and a draught of 5.7 m (18 ft 8 in). The ships had a standard displacement of 3,830 tonnes (3,770 long tons) and 4,580 tonnes (4,510 long tons) at full load.[4] Based on experience with the earlier ships in the class, La Motte-Picquet had her bridge (nautical) raised one level and 210 t (210 long tons) of ballast was added to improve her stability.[5] The Georges Leyguess' propulsion machinery used a CODOG configuration with one SEMT-Pielstick 16PA6-V280 diesel engine and a Rolls-Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbine were coupled to each of the two propeller shafts. The diesels were used for speeds under 21 knots (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 12,800 metric 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 9,500 nautical 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 the Georges Leyguess consisted of four single box launchers for MM40 Exocet anti-ship missiles, located aft of the funnel with two launchers on each broadside. The frigates were designed with a single 100-millimetre (3.9 in) Modèle 1968 dual-purpose gun in a single-gun turret forward of the superstructure. They were also equipped with two 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were fitted with a octuple Crotale anti-aircraft missile launcher with 26 reloads located on the aft superstructure. The anti-submarine| (ASW) weapons of the Georges Leygues-class ships consisted of two torpedo launchers , one on each side of the ship. Each ship carried ten torpedoes. The ships were designed to carry helicopters, a pair of Westland Lynx ASW helicopters in a double hangar at the stern.[3][4]
They were completed with a DRBV 51C search radar, a DRBC 32E fire-control radar and a DRBV 26 early-warning radar. For anti-submarine warfare, they were equipped with a DUBV 23B hull-mounted sonar and DUBV 43B towed variable depth sonar. For electronic defence, the vessels mounted two Syllex chaff launchers. The SENIT 4 tactical data system coordinated sensor data.[3][4]
Construction and career
[edit]In March 2016, La Motte-Picquet shadowed the Russian destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov, an oiler and a tugboat as it passed near French waters.[6] The following month La Motte-Picquet was part of the Anglo-French CJEF exercise.[7]
Gallery
[edit]-
The F70 type frigates are equipped with a Variable Depth Sonar type DUBV43 or DUBV43C. -
Operational Center of La Motte-Picquet (7 February 2001). -
Gunnery crew of La Motte-Picquet, in front of the Crotale anti-air missile launcher -
Shooting exercises with an ANF1, from the bridge. -
WEAPONS crew of La Motte-Picquet. -
Patch of La Motte Picquet. -
La Motte-Picquet in Cobh, Ireland, 12 June 2014. -
La Motte-Picquet in Cobh, Ireland, 12 June 2014.
References
[edit]- ^ "La Motte-Picquet : Dernière cérémonie des couleurs à Brest". 15 October 2020.
- ^ "La Motte-Picquet : Dernière cérémonie des couleurs à Brest". 15 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d Jordan 1995, p. 114.
- ^ a b c d Moore 1981, p. 164.
- ^ Saunders 2004, p. 228.
- ^ "HMS Somerset's tsar turn as she spends Easter monitoring Russian task group". Royal Navy. 30 March 2016. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "UK and France launch rapid deployment exercise". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
Bibliography
[edit]- Jordan, John (1995). "France". In Chumbley, Stephen (ed.). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 95–131. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
- Moore, John, ed. (1981). Jane's Fighting Ships 1981–82. London: Jane's Publishing. ISBN 0-531-03977-3.
- Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2004). Jane's Fighting Ships 2004–2005. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-2623-1.
External links
[edit]
Media related to La Motte-Picquet (D645) at Wikimedia Commons- Frégate La Motte-Picquet on netmarine.net
