Floréal-class frigate

Frigate Vendémiaire of the French Navy
Class overview
Name:	Floréal class
Builders:	Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Saint-Nazaire
Operators:	French Navy  Royal Moroccan Navy
Preceded by:	D'Estienne d'Orves class
In commission:	27 May 1992
Completed:	6 (France) 2 (Morocco)
Active:	France Floréal, Prairial, Nivôse, Ventôse, Vendémiaire, Germinal Morocco Mohammed V, Hassan II
General characteristics
Type:	Frigate
Displacement:	2,600 tons standard, 2,950 tons full load
Length:	93.5 m (307 ft)
Beam:	14 m (46 ft)
Draught:	4.3 m (14 ft)
Propulsion:	4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 6PA6 L280 Auxiliaries : 1 Ulstein 200 kW beam propulsor Propellers : 2 variable pace Lips Propulsive power : 8,800 hp (6,600 kW) Electric Plant : 3 Baudouin 12P15 2SR diesel alternators and 3 Alsthom AA 49L9 alternators Electric Power : 3 × 590 kW
Speed:	20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range:	10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph), 13,000 nmi (24,000 km; 15,000 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	88 (total): 11 officers 36 non-commissioned officers 42 enlisted (11 for the helicopter)
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar DRBV-21C (Mars) air sentry radar Racal Decca RM1290 navigation radar Racal Decca RM1290 landing radar Navigation Microcin type intertial navigation system Ben LMN4 loch Furuno depth measure system Navstar GPS system Taiyo gonio VHF radio
Electronic warfare & decoys:	ARBG-1A Saïgon 2 Dagaie decoy systems
Armament:	Anti-ship 2 × Exocet MM38 missiles Guns 1 × 100 mm CADAM turret with Najir fire control system 2 × 20 mm modèle F2 guns Anti-aircraft 2 × Mistral Simbad Launchers
Aircraft carried:	1 × Panther anti-submarine helicopter

The Floréal class is a type of light "surveillance frigates" designed for the needs of the French Navy after the end of the Cold War, ordered in 1989. They use construction standards of commercial ships. The ships are named after months of the Republican Calendar.

After the end of the Cold War, it was felt that the risks of a large-scale military confrontation had all but disappeared. The Marine Nationale had to face new missions, while its escort avisos from the 1980s were ageing, and also badly adapted to low-risk zones.

The concept of "sentry frigate" emerged from the will of the French government to protect its Exclusive Economic Zone (12 million km²), as defined in the Montego Bay treaties. Another need was to address matters of humanitarian aid, diplomacy, or naval law enforcement. To address these missions, an onboard helicopter is clearly the optimal solution, providing versatile, swift and long-range capabilities to deliver support, ferry or rescue.

These constraints defined the need for a ship which would be small; extremely stable to allow use of a heavy helicopter in all weather; small crew, while retaining capacities to accommodate navy commandos; light armament; economic and long-range propulsion system.

In keeping with the requirements, all the ships save one are based overseas in French territories. Prairial is based at Papeete, Tahiti; Floréal and Nivôse at La Reunion; Vendémiare at Noumea; Ventôse at Fort de France, Martinique, French Antilles. Germinal is based at Toulon, France.

To make the ship more economical, civilian construction methods were used at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint Nazaire. The ships use the SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) regulations, which require the hull to have eleven watertight compartments. The rules of the classification society Det Norske Veritas are used for energy production and safety. The ships were built in series, each with six pre-fabricated parts weighing up to 570 tonnes that were assembled and welded in a dry dock. (The construction method was later used for the La Fayette class). The first trials at sea were carried out in 1991 with an entirely civilian crew, while the Marine Nationale was only present as an observer.