The D'Estienne d'Orves-class avisos were primarily designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) in coastal areas and colonial coastal patrol. They were ordered as replacements for the E 50 and E 52 type escorteurs of the French Navy. The ships are built austerely and have a standard displacement of 1100order=flipNaNorder=flip and 1250LT at full load. The avisos are 80m (260feet) long overall and 76m (249feet) between perpendiculars with a beam of 10.3m (33.8feet) and a draught of 5.3m (17.4feet).
The avisos are propelled by two shafts turning controllable pitch propellers powered by two SEMT Pielstick 12 PC 2 V400 diesel engines rated at 12000lk=onNaNlk=on. The two engines are located in a single engine room mounted next to each other and controlled from a room abaft the machinery room. The two diesel engine system was selected due to the preference of endurance over speed. The D'Estienne d'Orves class has a maximum speed of 23.5kn and a range of 4500nmi at . All ships in the class are fitted with fin stabilisers except for and .
The class was intended to be constructed in two groups, the A 69 and A 70 types, with the latter type fitted with two Exocet MM38 surface-to-surface missiles (SSM) on either side of the funnel, but in the end, all ships of the class were fitted with the SSMs. The ships are armed with a 100abbr=onNaNabbr=on CADAM gun turret with Najir fire control system and CMS LYNCEA, a pair of 20abbr=onNaNabbr=on modèle F2 guns and four 12.7abbr=onNaNabbr=on machine guns. For ASW operations, the D'Estienne d'Orves class mounts four fixed catapults for L3 or L5 type torpedoes with no reloads carried and one remote-controlled sextuple 3751NaN1 rocket launcher, with 30 reloads carried in a magazine located beneath the aft deckhouse.
The D'Estienne d'Orves class is equipped with one air/surface DRBV 51A sentry radar, one DRBC 32E fire control radar one Decca 1226 navigation radar and DUBA 25 hull-mounted sonar. The DUBA 25 is situated in a fixed dome with a retractable transducer, but is designed strictly for use in coastal waters. As countermeasures the avisos have one ARBR 16 radar interceptor, two Dagaie decoy launchers and one SLQ-25 Nixie countermeasure system, which was fitted in the mid-1980s. The ships have a complement of 90 and have space to accommodate 18 marines.
Beyond the Nixie countermeasure system, the funnels aboard the avisos were heightened due to issues with the gases coming from them. had SEMT Pielstick 12 PA 6 BTC diesels with infrared suppression systems installed which led to delays into the vessel's entry into service. In 1993, and had their rocket launchers removed and a Syracuse II satcom terminal installed. Plans were drawn up to give the two ships a hangar and flight deck for helicopters, but this was abandoned.
From 2009, the remaining vessels in French service were reclassified as offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and, as a result, had their surface-to-surface missiles and heavy anti-submarine weapons removed. The remaining vessels in the class are being incrementally withdrawn from service between 2024 and 2027.[1]
Replacement of these vessels in French service is currently planned from about 2026 by a new class of patrol vessels.[2] [3] [4]
| French Navy construction data | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennant no. | Name | Builder | Launched | Commissioned | Status | |
| F 781 | Arsenal de Lorient, Lorient, France | 1 September 1972 | 1 June 1973 | 10 September 1976 | Decommissioned 1999, transferred to Turkey as | |
| F 782 | 1 September 1973 | 30 November 1974 | 13 October 1976 | Decommissioned 1999, transferred to Turkey as | ||
| F 783 | 1 October 1973 | 30 November 1974 | 30 September 1976 | Decommissioned 2000, transferred to Turkey as ; decommissioned from Turkish service 2022 | ||
| F 784 | 15 December 1974 | 31 January 1976 | 4 May 1977 | Decommissioned 1997, scrapped at Ghent, Belgium in 2015 | ||
| F 785 | 15 January 1975 | 31 January 1976 | 11 May 1977 | Decommissioned 1999, scrapped at Ghent, Belgium in 2015 | ||
| F 786 | 1 August 1975 | 7 August 1976 | 4 February 1978 | Decommissioned 2000, transferred to Turkey as | ||
| F 787 | 1 September 1975 | 7 August 1976 | 20 May 1978 | Decommissioned 2000, transferred to Turkey as | ||
| F 788 | 1 November 1976 | 13 August 1977 | 7 July 1979 | Decommissioned 2002, transferred to Turkey as | ||
| F 789 | March 1977 | 16 September 1978 | 13 February 1980 | Decommissioned 2020[5] | ||
| F 790 | 11 November 1977 | 29 May 1979 | 16 August 1980 | Decommissioned 2018 | ||
| F 791 | 7 May 1979 | 7 March 1981 | 19 January 1986 | Decommissioned 2018 | ||
| F 792 | 15 December 1978 | 28 June 1980 | 5 December 1981 | Decommissioned June 2024[6] | ||
| F 793 | 15 November 1979 | 7 March 1981 | 28 April 1982 | In service; retirement planned in 2027 | ||
| F 794 | April 1979 | 29 September 1981 | 23 October 1982 | In service; retirement planned in 2026 | ||
| F 795 | 1 October 1980 | 26 September 1981 | 17 March 1983 | In service; retirement planned in 2025 | ||
| F 796 | 23 March 1981 | 22 May 1982 | 14 March 1984 | In service; retirement planned in 2025 | ||
| F 797 | (ex-Commandant Levasseur) | 12 October 1981 | 23 May 1983 | 11 May 1984 | In service; retirement planned in 2026 | |
See main article: article and Drummond-class corvette.
The Argentine Navy also operates three D'Estienne d'Orves-class ships, locally known as the . The first two ships, originally named Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff and Commandant L'Herminier while under construction for the French Navy, were originally acquired by the South African Navy in 1976. In the French Navy they were replaced by new ships with the same names. The two ships were renamed Good Hope and Transvaal, but due to UN sanctions against South Africa, they were not delivered and were bought by the Argentine Navy on 25 December 1978. They were renamed and . A third ship of the class,, was ordered by Argentina and was delivered in 1981.
See main article: article and Burak-class corvette.
In October 2000, Turkey acquired six Type A 69 avisos. They were acquired for the Turkish Navy for coastal patrol in order to release more capable Turkish ships for frontline duty. Five of the six vessels were refitted at Brest before transfer.