Between 1994 and 1996, Tourville and De Grasse were refitted with the modern SLASM anti-submarine system, and active Very Low Frequency (VLF) sonar.
The ships are an enlarged version of the frigate Aconit. They have two shaft steam turbine machinery and a double hangar for two Lynx WG13 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 Tourvilles were typically placed in the destroyer category of warship and carry destroyer pennant numbers. Similar in many regards to the unmodified 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]
The three ships of the class, D612 De Grasse, D611 Duguay-Trouin and 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.
| Pennant number | Ship | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D610 | 13 May 1972 | 21 June 1974 | 16 June 2011[2] | Laid Up | ||
| D611 | 1 June 1973 | 17 September 1975 | 13 July 1999 | Discarded, in use as a breakwater | ||
| D612 | 30 November 1974 | 1 October 1977 | 5 May 2013[3] | Laid Up |