D'Estienne d'Orves class

The aviso Lieutenant de vaisseau Lavallée
Class overview
Operators:	French Navy  Turkish Navy  Argentine Navy
Succeeded by:	FREMM multipurpose frigate
Completed:	17
General characteristics D'Estienne d'Orves
Type:	aviso (sloop)
Displacement:	1100 t tonnes (1250 tonnes full load)
Length:	80 m (260 ft)
Beam:	10.3 m (34 ft)
Draught:	5.3 m (17 ft)
Propulsion:	Engines : 2 diesel SEMT Pielstick 12PC2V400 Power: 12,000 shp (8.9 MW) Propellers: 2 4-bladed orientable propellers Electrical power: 840 kW (2 DA x 320 + 1 DA x 200)
Speed:	24 knots
Range:	at 15 knots (28 km/h): 4500 nautical miles (8000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h) : 3000 nautical miles (5500 km)
Complement:	7 officers 42 non-commissioned officers 43 men
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
Electronic warfare and decoys:	1 ARBR 16 radar interceptor 2 Dagaie decoy launchers 1 SLQ-25 Nixie counter-measure system
Armament:	2 Exocet MM38 missiles 1 x 100 mm CADAM turret with Najir fire control system 2 x 20 mm F2 4 x 12.7 mm machine guns 4 L3 or L5 type torpedoes 1 x 375 mm rocket launcher

The A69 type Avisos are small warships mainly designed for coastal anti-submarine defence, but are also available for high sea escort missions (notably in support missions with the FOST). Built on a simple and robust design, they have an economical and reliable propulsion system which allows them to be used for overseas presence missions. The A69 design was based in the project of the João Coutinho class corvettes of the Portuguese Navy.

Ships in the class

A total of 17 ships of this class were built and named after the heroes of the Second World War. Eight of these ships have since been decommissioned and six of them were sold to the Turkish Navy where they were redesignated as the B Class corvette.

The nine ships remaining in French service will have their heavy weapons removed and be reclassified as oceanic patrol ships. They will replace the P400 class patrol vessels in this role[1].

Decommissioned or transferred

• F781 D'Estienne d'Orves (named after Henri Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves, decommissioned in 1999, now Turkish TCG Beykoz.)
• F782 Amyot d'Inville (decommissioned in 1999, now Turkish TCG Bartin.)
• F783 Drogou (decommissioned in 2000, now Turkish TCG Bodrum)
• F784 Détroyat (decommissioned in 1997)
• F785 Jean Moulin (named after Jean Moulin, decommissioned in 1999)
• F786 Quartier-Maître Anquetil (decommissioned in 2000, now Turkish TCG Bandirma)
• F787 Commandant de Pimodan (decommissioned in 2000, now Turkish TCG Bozcaada)
• F788 Second-Maître Le Bihan (decommissioned in 2002, now Turkish TCG Bafra)

In service in the French Navy

• F789 Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff
• F790 Lieutenant de vaisseau Lavallée
• F791 Commandant L'Herminier
• F792 Premier-Maître L'Her
• F793 Commandant Blaison
• F794 Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet
• F795 Commandant Ducuing (named after Gabriel Auguste Ferdinand Ducuing)
• F796 Commandant Birot
• F797 Commandant Bouan

In service in the Argentine Navy

ARA Granville (P-33) corvette

The Argentine Navy also operates three D'Estienne D'Orves-class ships, locally known as the Drummond Class. The first two ships were originally ordered by the South African Navy, but due to UN sanctions against South Africa, they were not delivered and were bought by the Argentine Navy in 1978. The third ship of the class was ordered by Argentina and was delivered in 1981.

• P-31 ARA Drummond (ex South African Good Hope)
• P-32 ARA Guerrico (ex South African Transvaal)
• edit] External links
  • globalsecurity.org
  • Alabordache.com French Aviso in activity
  • Alabordache.com French Aviso disarmed
  • (Spanish) Argentine Navy (ARA) official site – class specifications & pictures