French aviso Commandant Ducuing
{{short description|D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso of the French Navy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
}} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image =File:F795 Cdt. Ducuing.jpg | Ship image size = | Ship caption = Commandant Ducuing }} {{Infobox ship career | Ship country = France | Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|France|naval}} | Ship name = Commandant Ducuing | Ship namesake = Gabriel Ducuing | Ship builder = Arsenal de Lorient, Lorient | Ship laid down = 1 October 1980 | Ship launched = 26 September 1981 | Ship sponsor = | Ship commissioned = 17 March 1983 | Ship decommissioned = Expected, 2025 | Ship reclassified = | Ship struck = | Ship identification = *Callsign: FADC
| Ship honors = | Ship fate = | Ship homeport = Toulon | Ship status = Active }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Ship class={{sclass|D'Estienne d'Orves|aviso}} |Ship displacement= * {{convert|1,100|LT|t|order=flip|lk=on|abbr=on}} standard
|Ship length=* {{Convert|80|m|ftin|abbr=on}} oa
|Ship beam={{Convert|10.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship draught={{Convert|5.3|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion=* 2 SEMT Pielstick 12 PC 2 V400 diesel engines
|Ship speed={{convert|23.5|kn|lk=in}} |Ship range={{convert|4500|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}} |Ship armour= |Ship complement=90 |Ship EW=* 1 ARBR 16 radar interceptor
|Ship armament=* 2 Exocet MM38 SSMs (removed from French ships when reclassified as OPVs){{Cite web|url=https://www.asafrance.fr/item/patrouilleurs-les-avisos-francais-sur-tous-les-fronts.html|title=Patrouilleurs: Les avisos français sur tous les fronts. |trans-title=Patrol ships: French Avisos on all fronts. |language=French |date=26 January 2017 |publisher=Association de Soutien à l'Armée Française |access-date=6 June 2020}}
|Ship sensors=* 1 Air/surface DRBV 51A sentry radar
}} |
Commandant Ducuing (F795) is a {{sclass|D'Estienne d'Orves|aviso}} in the French Navy. The vessel is home ported at Toulon.{{cite web |url=https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/en-attendant-les-pom-trois-phm-deja-prets-a-recevoir-le-systeme-de-mini-drones-de-la-marine |title=En attendant les POM, trois PHM déjà prêts à recevoir le système de mini-drones de la marine |work=Mer et Marine |language=fr |last=Groizeleau |first=Vincent |date=23 June 2022 |access-date=24 August 2022}}
Design
{{Main|D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso}}
Crewed by 90 sailors, these vessels have the reputation of being among the most difficult in bad weather. Their high windage makes them particularly sensitive to pitch and roll as soon as the sea is formed.
Their armament, consequent for a vessel of this tonnage, allows them to manage a large spectrum of missions. During the Cold War, they were primarily used to patrol the continental shelf of the Atlantic Ocean in search of Soviet Navy submarines. Due to the poor performance of the hull sonar, as soon as an echo appeared, the reinforcement of an anti-submarine warfare frigate was necessary to chase it using its towed variable depth sonar.{{Cite web|date=23 October 2020|title=Euronaval: First details of the Patrouilleurs Océanique (PO) platform unveiled|url=https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/euronaval-2020/2020/10/euronaval-first-details-of-the-patrouilleurs-oceanique-po-platform-unveiled/|access-date=17 September 2021|website=Naval News}}
Their role as patrollers now consists mainly of patrol and assistance missions, as well as participation in UN missions (blockades, flag checks) or similar marine policing tasks (fight against drugs, extraction of nationals, fisheries control, etc.). Their anti-ship missiles have been landed, but they carry several machine guns more suited to their current missions.
The vessel's construction cost was estimated at 270,000,000 French francs.{{Cite book|title=Quid 1996|publisher=|year=1995|isbn=2-221-08055-6|pages=2036|last1=Frémy|first1=Dominique}}
Construction and career
Commandant Ducuing was laid down on 1 October 1980 at Arsenal de Lorient, Lorient. Launched on 26 September 1981 and commissioned on 17 March 1983.
She took part in Opération Artimon in 1990. In April 2009 the aviso took part in Operation Tanit, an operation to free a French yacht that was hijacked by Somali pirates.{{Cite web|last=magazine|first=Le Point|title=Le Point – Actualité Politique, Monde, France, Économie, High-Tech, Culture|url=https://www.lepoint.fr/|access-date=17 September 2021|website=Le Point.fr|language=fr|archive-date=30 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630211101/https://www.lepoint.fr/|url-status=dead}} The aviso, sailing from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, made a stopover on 8 and 9 June 2010 at the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, which was a first for a French ship for 32 years.{{Cite web|title=Un navire français dans un port irakien|url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2010/06/08/97001-20100608FILWWW00716-un-navire-francais-dans-un-port-irakien.php|access-date=17 September 2021|work=Le Figaro |agency=Agence France Presse|date=8 June 2010 |language=fr}}
In June 2015, the ship was responsible for monitoring bluefin tuna fishing off Malta.{{Cite web|title=L'aviso Cdt Ducuing en opération de police des pêches|url=https://www.colsbleus.fr/articles/6595|access-date=17 September 2021|website=colsbleus.fr|archive-date=17 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917121247/https://www.colsbleus.fr/articles/6595|url-status=dead}}
In 2022, it was indicated that the ship would be equipped with the SMDM (navy mini-drone system) to enhance her surveillance capabilities. In 2022–23, the ship deployed to the Gulf of Guinea for two months to assist local navies in countering, principally Chinese, illegal overfishing.{{Cite web|title=Pêche illicite : le Ducuing participe à la traque des bateaux chinois dans le golfe de Guinée |url=https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/defense/peche-illicite-le-ducuing-participe-a-la-traque-des-bateaux-chinois-dans-le-golfe-de-guinee |last=Groizeleau |first=Vincent |language=fr |date=10 February 2023|website=Mer et Marine}}
In May 2025, Commandant Ducuing participated in her final international exercises, "Obangame Express 25" off the coasts of Senegal and Gambia. She then departed for the Mediterranean to prepare for her decommissioning from service.{{cite web |date=15 May 2025 |title=Fin d’exercice Obangame Express et de mandat Corymbe pour le Commandant Ducuing |website=Marine Nationale |language=fr |url=https://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/actualites/fin-dexercice-obangame-express-mandat-corymbe-commandant-ducuing |access-date=18 May 2025}} It is planned that she will eventually be replaced by the Patrouilleurs Hauturiers vessels due to enter service from 2027.{{cite web |last=Groizeleau |first=Vincent |date=6 May 2021 |title=La Marine nationale va rapidement désarmer ses derniers PHM |trans-title=The French Navy will quickly disarm its last PHM |work=Mer et Marine |language=fr |url=https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/la-marine-nationale-va-rapidement-se-separer-de-ses-derniers-phm |access-date=15 June 2021}}
Citations
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{{D'Estienne d'Orves class aviso}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Commandant Ducuing}}