Tourville-class frigate

File:Tourville 3.jpg

File:Tourville-crotale.jpg

The Tourville-class ships were designed as anti-submarine (ASW) escorts for convoys in the North Atlantic and are enlarged versions of the older {{ship|French frigate|Aconit|F65|2}}, designed around a requirement to accommodate two Westland Lynx helicopters and Exocet anti-ship missiles.{{sfn|Jordan|1995|p=113}} They have an overall length of {{convert|152.8|m|ftin}}, a beam of {{cvt|15.3|m|ftin}} and a draught of {{cvt|5.7|m|ftin}}. The ships have a standard displacement of {{convert|4580|t|LT|lk=on}} and {{convert|5745|t|LT}} at full load. The Tourvilles were powered by two geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by four boilers. The turbines were rated at {{convert|54400|shp|PS kW|lk=on}} to give the ships a maximum speed of {{convert|32|kn|lk=in}} and a range of {{convert|5000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|18|kn}}. The frigate had a complement of 292 sailors including 17 officers.{{sfn|Moore|1981|p=164}}

The primary anti-ship weapon of the Tourvilles consisted of six single box launchers for MM38 Exocet missiles, located to the rear of the bridge with three launchers on each broadside. The frigates were designed with three French 100 mm naval gun guns in single-gun turrets; one superfiring pair forward of the bridge and the third gun positioned atop the rear superstructure. Tourville and Duguay-Trouin were completed with this configuration, but De Grasse had the aft gun deleted in anticipation of a Crotale anti-aircraft missile system being installed at that location. They were also equipped with two {{cvt|20|mm|1}} guns. The anti-submarine weapons of the Tourville-class ships included a Malafon anti-submarine missile launcher between the fore and aft superstructures for which they carried 13 missiles. They had two launchers for L5 torpedoes, one on each side of the ship. Each ship carried ten torpedoes. The Tourvilles were the first French ships of destroyer-size or larger designed to carry helicopters, a pair of Lynx ASW helicopters in a double hangar at the stern.{{sfn|Jordan|1995|p=113}}{{sfn|Moore|1981|p=164}}

They were equipped with a DRBV 51B search radar, a DRBC 32D fire-control radar and a DRBV 26 early-warning radar. For anti-submarine warfare, they were equipped with DUBV 23 hull-mounted sonar and DUBV 43 towed variable depth sonar. For electronic defence, the vessels mounted two Syllex chaff launchers. The SENIT 3 tactical data system coordinated sensor data.{{sfn|Jordan|1995|p=113}}{{sfn|Moore|1981|p=164}}

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• {{cite book|author1-last=Jordan|author1-first=John|editor1-last=Chumbley|editor1-first=Stephen |title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 |year=1995|publisher=Naval Institute Press |location= Annapolis, Maryland | isbn=1-55750-132-7|name-list-style=amp|chapter=France |pages=95–131}}
• {{cite book |editor1-last=Moore |editor1-first=John |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1981–82 |date=1981 |publisher=Jane's Publishing |location=London |isbn=0-531-03977-3}}
• {{cite book |editor1-last=Saunders |editor1-first=Stephen |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 2004–2005 |date=2004 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |location=Coulsdon, UK |isbn=0-7106-2623-1}}

{{Tourville class frigate}}

{{French Navy Vehicle}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tourville class frigate}}

Category:Destroyer classes

Category:Frigate classes

Category:Ship classes of the French Navy