French frigate Montcalm (D642)

For other ships of the same name, see French ship Montcalm.

Career (France)
Name:	Montcalm
Builder:	Brest arsenal
Laid down:	5 December 1975
Launched:	31 May 1980
Commissioned:	28 May 1982
Status:	in active service, as of 2011[update]
General characteristics
Class and type:	Georges Leygues-class frigate
Displacement:	3,550 t (3,494 long tons) 4,500 t (4,429 long tons) full load
Length:	139 m (456 ft 0 in)
Beam:	14 m (45 ft 11 in)
Height:	39.36 m (129 ft 2 in)
Draught:	5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
Propulsion:	CODOG 2 × Pielstick PA 6 V280 STD diesels, 5,200 hp (3,878 kW) 2 × Rolls Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines, 26,000 hp (19,388 kW) 2 shafts with 4-blade controllable pitch propellers
Speed:	30 knots (35 mph; 56 km/h) on gas turbines 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h) on diesels
Range:	1,000 nmi (1,900 km) at 30 kn (35 mph; 56 km/h) on gas turbines 10,000 nmi (19,000 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h) on diesels
Complement:	20 officers 120 non-commissioned officers 95 men
Sensors and processing systems:	Detection: • 1 Air/surface sentry radar DRBV51C • 1 Air sentry radar DRBV 26 • 1 Fire control radar DRBC 32E • 2 Navigation radar KH 1007 • 1 Hull sonar DUBV 23 • 1 Towed sonar DUBV 43C Tactical information: • SENIT 4 • SEAO/OPSMER
Electronic warfare and decoys:	• 2 Radar interceptors ARBR 16 • 2 × Syllex chaff launchers
Armament:	Anti-air: • 1 × Crotale EDIR system - 8 missiles on launcher + 18 stored • 2 × Siadral systems - 2×6 Mistral missiles • 1 × CADAM 100 mm main gun • 2 × 20 mm guns • 4 × 12.7 mm machine guns Anti-surface: • 4 × Exocet MM40 missiles Anti-submarine: • 10 × L5 Mod4 torpedoes • 2 × L5 torpedo launchers
Aircraft carried:	2 × Lynx WG13 Mk.4 helicopters, each with: • 1 × DUAV4 sonar • Rheseda system for transmission of acoustic data • 12 × Mark 46 torpedoes (to be replaced by MU90 torpedoes)

Montcalm is a F70 type anti-submarine frigate of the French Marine Nationale. She is the fourth French vessel named after the 18th century Marshal marquess Louis de Montcalm de Saint Véran. She is involved in operations off Libya.^[1]

Note: The French navy doesn't use the term "destroyer" for its ships; hence some large ships, referred to as "frigates", are registered as destroyers.

References

1. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1391537/Libya-On-board-naval-destroyer-HMS-Liverpool-currently-enemy-coast.html

External links

• Media related to Montcalm (D642) at Wikimedia Commons