Tourville-class frigate

Destroyer De Grasse
Class overview
Name:	F67 or Tourville-class
Succeeded by:	FREMM multipurpose frigate
Completed:	3
Active:	0
Retired:	3
General characteristics
Type:	Destroyer
Displacement:	4,580 tonnes  standard 6,100 tonnes  fully loaded
Length:	152.75 m (501 ft 2 in)
Beam:	15.80 m (51 ft 10 in)
Draught:	6.60 m (21 ft 8 in)
Propulsion:	2 × Rateau steam turbines, double reduction 4 × multi-tubular boilers 2 × fixed propellers 58,000 shp (43,251 kW) Fuel: Gazoil
Speed:	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range:	1,900 nmi (3,500 km; 2,200 mi) at 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph) 4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement:	24 officers 160 non-commissioned officers 115 men
Sensors and processing systems:	DRBV 51B surface sentry radar DRBV 26A air sentry radar DRBC 32D targeting radar 2 × DRBN 34 navigation radars DUBV 23 hull sonar ETBF DSBV 62C sonar DSBX 1 towed sonar Syva torpedo alert system SENIT 3 tactical data processing SEAO/OPSMER combat decision-making system HF, UHF, VHF and SHF liaison systems Syracuse 2 Inmarsat Link 11
Electronic warfare & decoys:	ARBB 32 jammer ARBR 16 radar interceptor 2 × Syllex decoy launchers Bubble belt
Armament:	Anti-ship; 6 × Exocet MM38 anti-ship missiles Anti-submarine; 2 × L5 torpedo launchers, 10 torpedoes on board (L5 mod 4) Guns; 2 × 100 mm turrets (1968 model) 2 × 20 mm cannons 4 × 12.7 mm machine guns CIWS; 1 x Crotale EDIR CIWS anti-air missiles (8 missiles on launcher, 16 in magazine)
Aircraft carried:	2 x Lynx WG13 anti-ship helicopters

The F67 type is a class of large high-sea (blue water) destroyers of the French Navy specialised in anti-submarine warfare. They have anti-air and anti-surface capabilities.

Between 1994 and 1996, the Tourville and the De Grasse were refitted with the modern SLASM anti-submarine system, and active Very Low Frequency (VLF) sonar.

Design

Close-up of the bow deck of the Tourville; the 100 mm turret is clearly visible

The Crotale missile launcher

The ships are an enlarged version of the F65 class frigate Aconit. They have two shaft steam turbine machinery and a double hangar for two Lynx helicopters. They were the first ships fitted with the marine version of the Crotale surface to air missile system. A Malafon anti-submarine missile system was fitted when the ships were built but this was removed during refits in the late 1980s.

Optimized for anti-submarine warfare, and carrying towed as well as hull-mounted sonar arrays, the Tourville's were typically placed in the destroyer category of warship and carry destroyer pennant numbers. Similar in many regards to the unmodified Spruance class destroyers, they carried a similar combination of sensors, naval guns, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, aircraft and surface-to-air missiles. Additionally, they were well-regarded for their seakeeping, serving much of their careers in the Atlantic rather than with France's Mediterranean fleet.^[1]

Ships

The three ships of the class, D612 De Grasse, D611 Duguay-Trouin and the D610 Tourville, are named major figures from French naval history. De Grasse and Tourville were French admirals and Duguay-Trouin coming to fame as a privateer.

The three ships of the class were all constructed by Arsenal de Lorient.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tourville-class frigate.

• Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1947-1995

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