La Fayette Lafayette class frigate stealth FFG FLF Frégate Légère Furtive F710 Surcouf F711 Courbet F712 Aconit F713 Guépratte F714 Marine Nationale French Navy DCNS datasheet pictures photos video specifications

The French Navy's La Fayette Class multipurpose stealth frigates were developed and built by DCNS. The French Navy awarded DCNS the contracts to construct the La Fayette (F710), Surcouff (F711) and Courbet (F712) frigates in 1988, and Aconit (F713) and Guepratte (F714) in 1992.

The La Fayette Class incorporates a number of stealth features – the sides of the vessel are sloped at 10° to minimize radar cross section, surfaces are made of alloy, reinforced plastic and kevlar. The profiles of external features have been reduced.

The La Fayette class was designed primarily to protect and enforce the interests of the French state in its maritime areas and overseas territories, to participate in the settlement of crises outside Europe, and to be integrated into a naval force. Secondary roles for this class include providing support for an intervention force or the protection of commercial traffic and special operations or humanitarian missions support.

DCNS have also built an anti-submarine warfare version for Taiwan (Kang Ding class) and an anti-air version for Saudi Arabia (F3000S - Al Riyadh class) under the Sawari II program.
Singapore has ordered six Project Delta stealth frigates, also based on the La Fayette (Formidable class).

Anti-ship missiles: 8 Exocet MM40 blk II
Anti-air missiles: 24 Crotale
Guns: 1× 100mm Modèle 68 TR - 2× 20mm modèle F2 guns

Sentry radar: DRBV 15C
Navigation radar: DRBN 34
Optronics: Sagem TDS 90
Jammers/Decoys: 2× Dagaie Mk2 chaff launcher - 1× AN/SLQ-25 Nixie - 1× Prairie-Masker - 1× ARBB 33
Communications: Syracuse II - Inmarsat