La Fayette (F710)

Career France

Laid down:	15 December 1990
Launched:	13 June 1992
Commissioned:	22 March 1996
Status:	In active service
Homeport:	Toulon
General Characteristics
Displacement:	3200 tonnes, 3600 tonnes fully loaded
Length:	125 m
Beam:	15.4 m
Draught:	4,8 m
Propulsion:	4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 12PA6V280 STC2, 21000 hp (15 400 kW)
Speed:	25 knots
Range:	7000 nautical miles at 15 knots, 9000 at 12 knots
Complement:	12 officers 68 non-commissioned officers 61 men
Sensors and processing systems:	1 x Air/Surface DRBV 15C sentry radar 1 x firing control radar for the 100 mm gun 1 x DRBN34 navigation radar 1 x DRBN34 landing radar
Electronic warfare and decoys:	1 x Saïgon ARBG 1 radio interceptor 1 x ARBR 21 radar interceptor 2 x Dagaie Mk2 chaff launcher 1 x AN/SLQ-25 Nixie tugged noise maker 1 x Prairie-Masker noise reduction system 1 x Syracuse II 1 x Inmarsat
Armament:	1 x 100 mm TR automatic gun 2 x 20 mm modèle F2 guns 1 x Crotale CN2 launcher (8 missiles on the launcher, 18 missiles in magazine) 16 Aster 15 missiles in vertical launchers 8 x Exocet MM40 block II missiles
Armor:	munition magazine and control centre
Aircraft carried:	1 x 10-tonne helicopter (Panther or NH90)

The La Fayette is a second-line multi-mission stealth frigate of the French Marine Nationale. She is the second French vessel named after the 18th Century general marquess Marie Joseph Paul Roch Yves Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette. She is the lead ship of the class. The same class is also used by the Royal Saudi Navy.

The ships of the La Fayette type are