La Combattante III type fast attack craft

The La Combattante III type patrol boat was a type of fast attack craft built in France for export during the late 1970s and 1980s. The design was a modification of the successful La Combattante II type fast attack craft. Nineteen ships of the design were built in various classes for several navies around the world.

Development[edit]

In 1975 Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN) modified the La Combattante II design, adding nine metres to the length to improve seaworthiness and give more internal space; this gave a displacement of 359 tons and an overall length of 56 metres, though the armament remained the same. This design was designated La Combattante III.

Between 1975 and 1990 a further 19 were built for the navies of Greece, Tunisia, Qatar, and Nigeria. In addition were built for Israel (the Sa'ar 4 class), five in France and the remainder under licence in Israel. The Israelis also built, or assisted in building, nine vessels for South Africa, at the time under embargo for its Apartheid policy.[1]

Ship list[edit]

Between 1975 and 1990 nineteen vessels were built for the navies of Greece, Nigeria, Qatar and Tunisia.

Greece[edit]

Main article: La Combattante III-class fast attack craft

In 1974 the Hellenic Navy ordered four vessels to be built by Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN), referred to as the Greek La Combattante IIIa class, and in 1978 a further six vessels to be built under licence in Greece (the La Combattante IIIb class); These were to the same design, but were armed with the Norwegian Penguin Surface-to-surface missile (SSM) instead of the French Exocet.[2][3]

La Combattante IIIa
Pennant number Name Launched Status
P20 Antiploiarchos Laskos 20 April 1977 Active
P21 Plotarchis Blessas 7 July 1977 Active
P22 Ypoploiarchos Mykonios 10 February 1978 Active
P23 Ypoploiarchos Troupakis 8 November 1977 Active
La Combattante IIIb
Pennant number Name Launched Status
P24 Simaioforos Kavaloudis 14 July 1980 Active
P25 Ypoploiarchos Kostakos 9 September 1980 Accidental loss, November 1996
P26 Ypoploiarchos Degiannis 11 December 1980 Active
P27 Simaioforos Xenos 31 March 1981 Active
P28 Simaioforos Simitzopoulos 30 June 1981 Active
P29 Simaioforos Starakis 12 October 1981 Active

Nigeria[edit]

In November 1977 the Nigerian Navy ordered three vessels from CMN to the modified La Combattante IIIB design. This was slightly larger and faster than the standard La Combattante III design, but with a reduced armament. These were known as the Siri class.[4][5]

Siri class
Pennant number Name Launched Status
P181 Siri 3 June 1980 .
P182 Ayah 10 November 1980 .
P183 Ekun 11 February 1981 .

Qatar[edit]

In October 1980 the Qatari Emiri Navy ordered three vessels form CMN to the modified La Combattante IIIM design. This was slightly smaller than the standard La Combattante III design, with a reduced armament, but superior performance and electronics.[6][7]

La Combattante III (Qatari Emiri Navy)
Pennant number Name Commissioned Status
Q 01 Dansah 10 November 1982 Active
Q 02 Al Gharijah 10 February 1983 Active
Q 03 R'Biva 11 May 1983 Active

Tunisia[edit]

In June 1981 the Tunisian Navy ordered three vessels from CMN, also to the modified La Combattante IIIM design.[8][9]

La Combattante III (Tunisian Navy)
Pennant number Name Commissioned Status
P501 La Galik 27 February 1985 .
P502 Tunis 27 March 1985 .
P503 Carthage 29 April 1985 .

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Preston p179-180
  2. ^ Conway p.59
  3. ^ Jane p.259
  4. ^ Conway p.316
  5. ^ Jane p.445
  6. ^ Conway p.445
  7. ^ Jane, p.508
  8. ^ Conway p.322
  9. ^ Jane, p.692

References[edit]

  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 (1995) Naval Institute Press|, Annapolis ISBN 1-55750-132-7
  • Preston, Antony The World's Worst Warships (2002) Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0-85177-754-6
  • Sharp, Richard Jane's Fighting Ships (1991) Jane's Information Group ISBN 978 07106 096 01
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