Suffren class destroyer

The French destroyer Suffren (D639) underway during exercise "Distant Drum", in 1983.

The Suffren-class guided missile destroyers were first-rank destroyers of the French Navy, designed to protect a fleet against air threats, surface ships, submarines, and, to a lesser extent, provide firepower against land objectives. They were the first French ships to be built specifically as guided missile frigates.

Specifications

• Type: Guided Missile Destroyer
• Service Period: 1967-2014
• Characteristics:
  • Length: 518 feet 4 inches (158 meters)
  • Beam: 50 feet 10 inches (15.5 meters)
  • Draught: 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 meters)
  • Displacement: 5,881 tons (Standard); 7,573 tons (Full Load)
• Crew: 360 (30 officers, 220 petty officers and 110 sailors)
• Propulsion: 4 × boilers, 4 × steam turbines, 2 x propellors, 72,500 shp (54,063 kW)
• Range: 5,130 nautical miles (9,500 kilometers) at 18 knots (33.34 km/h)
• Speed: 34 knots (62.97 km/h)
• Sensor Suite:
  • DRBI23 tridimensional sentry RDF
  • DRBV15 Air/Surface Search RDF
  • DRBC33 multi-system targeting RDF
  • DRBN34 Navigation RDF
  • DRBR51 Fire Control RDF
  • DUBV1 Hull mounted ASDIC
  • DUBV43B Towed ASDIC
• Countermeasures:
  • 2 × "Sagaie" decoy launchers
  • SLQ-25 Nixie towed decoy
  • ARBR33 jammer
  • ARBR17 detector
• Armament:
  • 2 x Creusot-Loire Compact 100mm/55-caliber Modele 68 dual purpose naval gun
  • 48 x Masurca AAMs
  • 4 x MM38/MM40 Exocet AShMs
  • 10 × L5 anti-submarine torpedoes
  • 2 x 20mm modèle F2 guns
  • 4 x 12.7mm machine guns
• Boats Carried: 1 × EDL 700, 1 × EDO, 1 × 10-seat EFRC, 1 × 10-seat EFR

Unit Run

• MN Suffren (D639)
• MN Duquesne (D640)
• MN Guerrière (D641)
• MN Pothuau (D642)
• MN Intrepide (D643)
• MN Gloire (D644)