D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso

The aviso Lieutenant de vaisseau Lavallée
Class overview
Operators:  French Navy
 Turkish Navy
 Argentine Navy
Completed: 17
General characteristics D'Estienne d'Orves
Type:Aviso (sloop)
Displacement:1,100 t tonnes (1,250 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 (44 km/h; 28 mph)
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 × 100 mm CADAM turret with Najir fire control system
2 × 20 mm F2
4 × 12.7 mm machine guns
4 L3 or L5 type torpedoes
1 × 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 on the Portuguese Navy's João Coutinho-class corvettes.

Ships in the class

A total of 17 ships of this class were built, with the French ships being 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 B class corvettes.

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 .

Decommissioned or transferred

In service in the French Navy

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.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to D'Estienne d'Orves class.