La Combattante II type fast attack craft

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The La Combattante II patrol boat was a type of fast attack craft built in France for export during the 1970s. Some 37 were built in various classes for several navies around the world.

Contents

Development

The La Combattante II type fast attack craft began as a German-French joint venture, proposed by the German government to combine a Lürssen-designed fast patrol boat with Aerospatiale's Exocet missile. These were intended for export to Israel. However the French government insisted on a French design from Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN) in Cherbourg and for half the boats in the order to be built in France. In the end the first group of 20 boats to be built were transferred to the German Bundesmarine , for political reasons. They were commissioned in 1968 as the Tiger class. A number of these were later sold on to the navies of Greece, Chile and Egypt.

Following this, between 1968 and 1974 CMN built a further 37 vessels for export. these were known as the La Combattante II type, after the vessel used for trials of the Exocet, the patrol craft La Combattante. [1] These were built for the navies of Iran (12 Kaman class), Malaysia (four Perdana class) and Libya (nine Beir Grassa class). In the same period CMN built 12 fast attack craft to a similar design for Israel (the Sa'ar 1-3 classes) which are included by some sources in the type.

These vessels were typically of 234 tons displacement and 47 m (154 ft 2 in) in length, and a typical armament of one 76 mm (3 in) gun forward, four Exocet missiles in box launchers amidships, and a 40 mm (1.6 in) gun aft, though actual outfits varied according to the operators requirements. [2] [3]

Ship list

Iran

Iran ordered 12 ships of the same class (known in Iran as Kaman class), nine of which were delivered in 1977 and 1978, and three of which were delayed until 1981 as a result of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. [4] The Iranian fast attack craft Paykan was sunk during Operation Morvarid in 1980, while Joshan was sunk by USS Simpson during Operation Praying Mantis in 1988. These ships are not to be confused with the new Joshan and Paykan, which were named in their memories. Iran built a heavily upgraded version of this class called the Sina class. As of 2012 Iran has built four Sina-class vessels and is building five more of this class. [5]

Kaman class
Pennant
number 		NameOrderedLaid downLaunchedCommissionedStatus
P221 Kaman 19 February 19745 February 19758 January 197612 August 1977In service
P222 Xoubin 4 April 197514 April 197612 September 1977In service
P223 Khadang 20 June 197515 July 197615 March 1978In service
P225 Joshan 5 January 197621 February 197723 March 1978Sunk in 1988
P224 Paykan 15 October 197512 October 197631 March 1978Sunk in 1980
P226 Falakhon 15 March 19762 June 1977In service
P227 Shamshir 14 October 197415 May 197612 September 1977In service
P228 Gorz 5 August 197628 December 197722 August 1978In service
P229 Gardouneh 18 October 197623 February 197811 September 1978In service
P230 Khanjar 17 January 197727 April 19781 August 1981In service
P231 Neyzeh 12 September 19775 July 1978In service
P232 Tabarzin 24 June 197715 September 1978In service
Source: Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships (1996) [6]

Malaysia

Perdana class
Pennant
number 		NameCommission YearClass
3501KD Perdana21 December 1972Perdana
3502KD Serang31 January 1973
3503KD Ganas28 February 1973
3504KD Ganyang28 March 1973

Libya

A version called the Beir Grassa class, of which 10 were built and 8 were operational as of 1995, were used by the Libyan Navy. [7] One had been sunk and another disabled during a 1986 confrontation with US forces.

Beir Grassa class
Pennant
number 		NameCommissioned
518Beir Grassa
522Beir Gzir
524Beir Gitfa
526Beir Glulud
528Beir Algandula
532Beir Ktitat
536Beir Alkardmen
538Beir Alkur
542Beir Alkuesat

Israel

An initial group of six boats was ordered in 1965, with an armament of Bofors 40 mm guns, torpedo tubes and provision for fitting sonar. This group was designated the Sa'ar 1 class. When refitted with Gabriel anti-ship missiles, they became the Sa'ar 2 class.

A second group of six boats, the Sa'ar 3 class, was ordered in 1968, with an OTO Melara 76 mm gun instead of the Bofors guns of the Sa'ar 1 class and with anti-submarine provisions omitted. [8]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Preston p178
  2. ↑ Preston p179
  3. ↑ Conway p127
  4. ↑ Jane's Fighting Ships, 2018–19, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's By IHS Markit, 2018, p. 390.
  5. ↑ رونمایی از زیردریایی فاتح در سال جاری/ ناوشکن‌های کلاس جماران در راهند. Fars News Agency (in Persian). Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  6. ↑ Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen; Budzbon, Przemysaw, eds. (1996), "Iran", Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995, Conway Maritime Press, pp. 186–187, ISBN   978-1557501325
  7. ↑ Jeremy Binnie, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly (2013-06-25). "Libyan Navy joins international exercise - IHS Jane's 360". Janes.com. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  8. ↑ Gardiner and Chumbley, pp. 192–193.

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References

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