| Career (France) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Foch |
| Ordered: | 1955 |
| Laid down: | 15 November 1957 |
| Launched: | 23 July 1960 |
| Commissioned: | 15 July 1963 |
| Decommissioned: | 15 November 2000 |
| Fate: | Sold to the Brazilian Navy, re-named São Paulo. |
| Notes: | See NAe São Paulo for subsequent history |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 24,200 t (23,818 long tons) standard 32,800 t (32,282 long tons) full load |
| Length: | 265 m (869 ft 5 in) |
| Beam: | 51.2 m (168 ft 0 in) |
| Draught: | 8.6 m (28 ft 3 in) |
| Propulsion: | 6 × Indret boilers 4 × steam turbines 126,000 hp (94 MW) 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 32 knots (37 mph; 59 km/h) |
| Range: | 7,500 nmi (13,900 km) at 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h) |
| Complement: | 1,338 men, including 64 officers (1,920 men including the air group. 984 men if only helicopters are carried.) |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
• 1 × DRBV-23B air search radar • 1 × DRBV-50 low-altitude or surface search radar (later replaced by a DRBV-15) • 1 × NRBA-50 approach radar • 1 × DRBI-10 tri-dimensional air search radar • Several DRBC-31 fire-control radar (later DRBC-32C) • DRBN-34 navigation radars |
| Armament: | • 8 × 100 mm turrets (originally) ; in the 90s, 4 are replaced by 2 × SACP Crotale EDIR systems, with 52 missiles • 5 × 12.7 mm machine guns |
| Aircraft carried: | About 40 aircraft: • 15 × Super Étendard • 4 × Étendard IVP • 10 × F-8E (FN) Crusader • 6 × Alizé • 2 × Dauphin Pedro helicopters • 2 × Super Frelon helicopters |
Foch (R 99) was the second Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier of the French Navy. She was the second warship named in honour of Marshal Ferdinand Foch, after a heavy cruiser commissioned in 1932, and scuttled in Toulon on 27 November 1942. Ironically Ferdinand Foch is famously quoted in 1911 saying "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value"[1] although this was only eight years after the first powered human flight.
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The draft statute prepared by the Naval General Staff in 1949 asked four aircraft carriers of 20,000 tons to be available in two phases. At its meeting of 22 August 1949 , the Supreme Council of the Navy was even more ambitious where they asked six aircraft carrier fleet. On 15 July 1952 , the French Navy still wanted two to five with the French Union (not available to the NATO ). According to the RCM 12, the final document of the Lisbon Conference of 1952 , France should make available NATO aircraft carrier in the D-day, two on day 30, three on day 180. But by 1953 , the Navy had to be satisfied with two aircraft carriers. The PA 54 Clemenceau , budgeted in 1953 , was delayed until November 1955 , the PA 55 Foch, budgeted for 1955 , was delayed until February 1957. Between 1980 and 1981, she underwent a study to certify the platform before catapulting aircraft carrying missiles, bombs, AM-39 Exocet and tactical nuclear bombs.
After a 37-year career in the French Navy, on 15 November 2000, she was sold to the Brazilian Navy, and renamed NAe São Paulo. In the French Navy, she was succeeded by the Charles de Gaulle (R 91).
In 1977 F-8 Crusaders from 14.F squadron on Foch participated in the Saphir missions over Djibouti. On 7 May 1977, two Crusaders went separately on patrol against what were supposedly French Air Force (4/11 Jura squadron) F-100 Super Sabres stationed at Djibouti. The leader intercepted two fighters and initiated a dogfight as part of the training exercise, but quickly called his wingman for help as he had actually engaged two Yemeni MiG-21 Fishbeds. The two French fighters switched their master armament to "on" but, ultimately, everyone returned to their bases. This was the only combat interception by French Crusaders.
In 1983–1984, the ship was sent to Lebanon for combat operations during the civil war with an air wing consisting of six F-8 Crusaders, fifteen Super-Etendards, three Etendard IVPs, five Br 1050 Alizés and six SA-321G Super-Frelons. [2] She would rotate with Clemenceau providing constant on station air support to French peacekeepers.
In October 1984, France sent Foch for operation Mirmillon off the coast of Libya, in response to tension in the Gulf of Sidra.[3]
She was involved in the Yugoslav Wars between July and August 1993, in February and March 1994, and in February and from May to July 1994 in support of UN operations.[3]
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