French frigate Georges Leygues
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Georges Leygues |
| Namesake | Georges Leygues |
| Laid down | 16 September 1974 |
| Launched | 17 December 1976 |
| Commissioned | 10 December 1979 |
| Decommissioned | 21 March 2014 |
| Identification | MMSI number: 228722000 |
| 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 anti-ship helicopters |
| Aviation facilities | Double hangar |
Georges Leygues (D640) was the lead ship of the her class of seven guided-missile frigates built for the French Marine Nationale during the 1970s. Completed in 1979, she served during the Cold War.
Design and description
[edit]The Georges Leygues-class ships were designed as anti-submarine (ASW) escorts for the fleet.[1] 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 4,500–4,580 tonnes (4,430–4,510 long tons) at full load. 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).[2] 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.[1]
The primary anti-ship weapon of the Georges Leyguess consisted of four single box launchers for MM38 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][2]
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.[1][2]
Construction and career
[edit]In 1999, she was partially modified to accommodate student officers, and started tending the cruiser Jeanne d'Arc in the context of the training voyages of the French Naval Academy.[4] The same year, after catastrophic flooding occurred in Mozambique the two ships were re-routed to deliver humanitarian aid.
In early 2004, after the 2004 Haitian coup d'état, Jeanne d'Arc and Georges Leygues were re-routed to assist in the French intervention there. In December the same year, the two ships intervened in Indonesia after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.[4] In 2011, the frigate took part in the evacuation of the civilians from Tunisia.[4] The ship was decommissioned on 21 March 2014.[5]
Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c Jordan 1995, p. 114.
- ^ a b c Moore 1981, p. 164.
- ^ Jordan 1994, p. 114.
- ^ a b c Lagneau, Laurent (31 July 2013). ""Terminé barre et machine" pour la frégate Georges Leygues" (in French). opex360.com. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ^ "Retrait définitif du service pour la frégate Georges Leygues" (in French). ActuNautique.com. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
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.