Aviso type A69 Premier Maître L’Her (F792)

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Hello everyone, and welcome to this new suggestion.

Today, I invite you to discover a ship of the A69 class: the Premier Maître L’Her (F792).

The A69 class avisos, also known as D’Estienne d’Orves type vessels, comprise a series of 17 offshore patrol vessels built for France between the 1970s and 1980s. These are relatively modest-tonnage ships, but capable of carrying out a wide variety of missions. Their armament and detection equipment give them a particularly valued versatility.

Laid down in 1978 and launched in 1980, the Premier Maître L’Her is the twelfth ship of this class. Based in Toulon with the Mediterranean Fleet, it participates in numerous operations. Notably, it is deployed off the coast of Lebanon as part of Operation Olifant 4, as well as in the Indian Ocean for patrol missions near French territories.

Upon returning to mainland France, it was then assigned to Brest, where it participated in NATO patrol missions in the Atlantic. Subsequently, it was deployed around the world on various operations: in the Antilles for Operation Corymbe 62, in the Indian Ocean for Operation Heracles, in the Gulf of Aden for Operation Atalanta, and also for Operation Serval.

These long-term deployments contributed to building the ship’s reputation, renowned for its versatility and robustness. It was particularly distinguished by its reliability, having encountered few technical difficulties during its numerous missions. It was even selected to lead anti-submarine warfare units during the NATO exercise Joint Warrior, demonstrating that, despite its age, it remained a credible operational platform.

The Premier Maître L’Her was finally decommissioned and placed in reserve in 2024, before being selected as a training target for a submarine. It was subsequently sunk in December of the same year.

The ship is named after Chief Petty Officer Jean-François L’Her, a French naval officer. He died in the ruins of the Tour d’Ordre in Boulogne-sur-Mer, refusing to retreat to England and continuing the fight against German forces during the invasion of the city at the beginning of the Second World War.

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Characteristics

  • Length : 80 m

  • Width : 10.3 m

  • Draft : 5.3 m

  • Mass : 1250 tons

The vessel is powered by 2 SEMT Pielstick 12PC2V400 diesel engines giving a total power of 12,000 horsepower, 2 propeller shafts are present and each has a propeller with four adjustable blades. The power system is completed by 3 diesel generators capable of generating 840 kW of power. Its maximum speed is 24 knots and its range allows it to cover 5,000 nautical miles at 18 knots. Its crew varies between 90 and 100 sailors.

Equipment

  • Radar :

    • DRBV 51A Surveillance radar
    • DRBC 32E Fire control radar
    • DECCA 1226 Navigation radar
    • ARBR 16 : Radar interceptor (RWR)

  • Sonar :

    • DUBA 25 hull-mounted sonar

  • Decoys :

    • 2 x Dagaie decoy launcher
    • SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy

In addition, the ship was equipped with a reconnaissance drone during its final years of service.

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Weapons

Before 1976 :

  • 1 x 100mm (front gun)
  • 2 x Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft gun mounts (one on each side)
  • 4 x L3 or L5 torpedo (two fixed tubes on each side)
  • 1 x 375mm x 6 anti-submarine rocket launcher (turret on rear platform)
  • 4 x 12.7 machine gun (two gun slings at the front above the gangway and two on the rear platform)

After 1976 :

  • 1 x 100mm (front gun)
  • 2 x Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft gun mounts (one on each side)
  • 2 x MM38 Exocet (one on each side)
  • 4 x L3 or L5 torpedo (two fixed tubes on each side)
  • 1 x 375mm x 6 anti-submarine rocket launcher (turret on rear platform)
  • 4 x 12.7 machine gun (two gun slings at the front above the gangway and two on the rear platform)

In 2009, the Estiennes D’Orves-class ships were reclassified as ocean-going patrol vessels and therefore had to reduce their armament (anti ship and anti submarine weapons were removed).

After 2009 :

  • 1 x 100mm (front gun)
  • 2 x Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft gun mounts (one on each side)
  • 1 x Sambad weapon system (double Mistral launcher place where the 375mm was installed)
  • 4 x 12.7 machine gun (two gun slings at the front above the gangway and two on the rear platform)

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In game this ship would be an interesting addition for the french coastal tech tree, adding a rather modern and well equiped ship with different kind of weapons and capacity.

Pictures

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Video

L’aviso Premier Maitre l’HER dans le mauvais temps
Le PHM Premier Maitre l’Her en mission IRINI
Armement | La nouvelle torpille lourde F21

Sources
3 Likes
2

All three weapon layouts are interesting and would play nicely, though the Exocet missiles probably have to wait a bit. +1

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