French frigate Surcouf

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For other ships with the same name, see French ship Surcouf.
FS Surcouf.jpg
History
France
NameSurcouf
NamesakeRobert Surcouf
Laid down6 July 1992
Launched3 July 1993
Commissioned7 February 1997
Identification
Honours and
awards		Flies the FFL jack in honour of the submarine Surcouf
StatusIn active service
General characteristics
Class and type La Fayette-class frigate
Displacement
  • 3,200 tonnes
  • 3,600 tonnes fully loaded
Length125 m (410 ft 1 in)
Beam15.4 m (50 ft 6 in)
Draught4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)
Propulsion4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 12PA6V280 STC2, 21,000 hp (16,000 kW)
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement
  • 12 officers
  • 68 non-commissioned officers
  • 61 men
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × Air/Surface DRBV 15C sentry radar
  • 1 × firing control radar for the 100 mm gun
  • 1 × DRBN34 navigation radar
  • 1 × DRBN34 landing radar
  • 1 x BlueWatcher sonar[1]
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • 1 × Saïgon ARBG 1 radio interceptor
  • 1 × ARBR 21 radar interceptor
  • 2 × Dagaie Mk2 chaff launcher
  • 1 × AN/SLQ-25 Nixie tugged noise maker
  • 1 × Prairie-Masker noise reduction system
  • 1 × Syracuse II
  • 1 × Inmarsat
Armament
ArmourOn sensitive areas (munition magazine and control centre)
Aircraft carried1 × helicopter (Panther or NH90)

Surcouf (F711) is a La Fayette-class frigate of the French Navy. Construction began at on 6 July 1992, launched 3 July 1993, and the ship was commissioned May 1996. Since entering service, Surcouf has taken part in numerous missions, notably in Operation Antilope (Gabon and Congo), Operation Trident (Kosovo) and Mission Khor Anga in the Djibouti zone.

Service history[]

On 14 May 2001, Surcouf rendered assistance to Marc Guillemot, skipper of Biscuits La Trinitaine-Team Ethypharm, who had to abandon his ship after her starboard hull was seriously damaged. The catamaran's crew of five were airlifted to safety by helicopter.

On 14 October 2004, Surcouf assisted Sara 2, a Panamanian cargo ship which ran aground near Yemen. The 16-man crew was successfully airlifted by the Panther helicopter, and later transferred from the frigate to the Yemeni coast guard.

Between 17 and 21 May 2008, Surcouf participated in Exercise KhunjarHaad, a multi-national exercise held in the Gulf of Oman. Other participating warships included the American destroyer USS Russell, the British frigate HMS Montrose, the British fleet replenishment tanker RFA Wave Knight and four other coalition ships conducted air defense; surface warfare operation; visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS); and joint gunnery exercises, which focused on joint interoperability training and proficiency.[2]

In November 2012 Surcouf deployed to the Horn of Africa as part of the European Union's Naval Operation in the area.[needs update] A British Lynx HMA.8 helicopter of 815 Squadron was on board for the whole four-month deployment, along with 12 personnel including 2 Royal Marine snipers.[3] This was the first extended deployment of a Royal Navy helicopter on a French warship and was the result of a treaty between the United Kingdom and France to share military resources and conduct more joint operations.[3] In 2021, Surcouf deployed to the Pacific accompanying the French Navy helicopter assault ship Tonnerre.[4]

Surcouf is scheduled to undergo a modest structural and technical upgrade (with the elderly Crotale SAM to be removed from the vessel) and, given somewhat reduced general purpose capability, be re-assigned to offshore patrol duties prior to her planned withdrawal from service in 2027.[5][6]

References[]

  1. ^ "Euronaval: Naval Group Starts Upgrade Work on la Fayette-class frigates". 23 October 2020.
  2. ^ Thraen, Courtney (8 August 2008). "USS Momsen Visits Cyprus". NNS080805-04. United States Navy. USS Momsen Public Affairs. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  3. ^ a b "From frigate to frégate… Lynx team joins French warship on deployment". Navy News. 19 October 2012.
  4. ^ "French Amphibious Ready Group Set Sails for the Indo-Pacific". 18 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Rénovation des la Fayette : La première frégate livrée, la seconde en chantier". 21 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Marine nationale : les programmes qui vont façonner la future flotte française". Mer et Marine. 1 February 2021.

Sources[]

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