NAVYPEDIA

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Aconit 1977

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Aconit	F703, 1.1974- D609		Arsenal de Lorient	22.3.1968	7.3.1970	30.3.1973	stricken 11.2014

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	3500
Displacement full, t	3900
Length, m	127.0
Breadth, m	13.4
Draught, m	5.80
No of shafts	1
Machinery	1 set Rateau geared steam turbines, 2 boilers
Power, h. p.	28650
Max speed, kts	27
Fuel, t	oil
Endurance, nm(kts)	5000(15)
Armament	1 x 1 Malafon ASuM (13 Malafon), 2 x 1 - 100/55 Mod 1968, 4 - 550 KD-59E torpedo catapults (10 L5), 1 x 4 - 305 ASWRL
Electronic equipment	DRBV-13, DRBV-22A, DRBC-32B, DRBN-32 radars, DUBV-23, DUBV-43 VDS sonars, 2x Syllex decoy RL, SENIT-3 CCS
Complement	228

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Aconit was the prototype for a series of five ASW corvettes designed for convoy escort work in the North Atlantic. Similar in size and conception to the ocean escorts of the US Knox class, she shares with them a single-shaft steam propulsion system which made her unique in the Marine Nationale. Although well-equipped for ASW by the standards of the day, the absence of a helicopter capability limited the potential of the design, and the four projected sister-ships were abandoned in favour of the larger, more capable C 67 (later F 67) class.

In terms of architecture she was a scaled-down version of the Suffren, with a block of superstructure forward surmounted by a prominent radome, a combined mast and funnel amidships, and a lower superstructure block aft. The ASW systems were essentially those trialled by the La Galissonière. The Malafon reload magasine was housed within the after superstructure block. The SENIT 3 tactical data system was designed specifically for this class, and was also a feature of the F 67.

Modernizations

1985: - 1 x 4 - 305 ASWRL, DRBV-13 radar; + 2 x 4 MM40 Exocet SSM (8 MM40), DRBV-15A radar, ARBR-16, ARBB-32 ECM suites, SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy

1992: - DRBC-32B, DRBN-32 radars; + 2 x 1 - 20/90 MIT-20F2, 2 x 1 - 12.7/90, DRBC-32D, DRBN-34A radars, DSBV-62C towed sonar array

Naval service

Aconit was decommissioned in February 1997.