Subclasses Drummond class Active 15 | Completed 17 | |
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Name D'Estienne d'Orves class or A69 type Operators French Navy
Turkish Navy
Argentine Navy Succeeded by Floréal class
La Fayette class | ||
The D'Estienne d'Orves-class avisos, also known as the A69 type avisos, is a class of avisos, comparable in size to a light corvette, mainly designed for coastal anti-submarine defence, but are also available for high sea escort missions (notably in support missions with the FOST). Built on a simple and robust design, they have an economical and reliable propulsion system which allows them to be used for overseas presence missions. The A69 design was based on the Portuguese Navy's João Coutinho-class corvettes.
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Ships in the class
A total of 17 ships of this class were built, with the French ships being named after heroes of the Second World War. Eight of these ships have since been decommissioned and six of them were sold to the Turkish Navy where they were redesignated as Burak class or B-class corvettes.
The nine ships remaining in French service will have their heavy weapons removed and be reclassified as oceanic patrol ships. They will replace the P400-class patrol vessels in this role.
Decommissioned or transferred
In service in the French Navy
In service in the Argentine Navy
The Argentine Navy also operates three D'Estienne d'Orves-class ships, locally known as the Drummond class. The first two ships were originally ordered by the South African Navy, but due to UN sanctions against South Africa, they were not delivered and were bought by the Argentine Navy in 1978. The third ship of the class was ordered by Argentina and was delivered in 1981.