Cassard-class Guided Missile Destroyer

The Cassard-class (Type F70 AA) is a class of AA (air defence) destroyers of the French Navy. The class is an air defence variant of the Georges Leygues-class. The two classes have a different armament and propulsion system mounted on an identical hull. Their primary role is to provide air cover for a fleet, an aeronaval group, or a convoy. They can also be used for research, identification or presence missions.

The experience gained during the design and construction of the Cassard-class was used for the design of the La Fayette-class frigates.

Specifications

 * Type: Air Defence Destroyer
 * Service Period: 1988-Present
 * Characteristics:
 * Length: 456 feet (138.99 meters)
 * Beam: 46 feet (14.02 meters)
 * Draft: 20 feet (6.1 meters)
 * Displacement: 4,500 tons (Standard); 5,000 tons (Full Load)
 * Crew: 250
 * Propulsion: 4 × SEMT Pielstick 18PA6-V280 BTC diesel engines, 42,000 hp
 * Range: 8,000 nautical miles (14,816 kilometers)
 * Speed: 29 knots (53.71 km/h)
 * Sensor Suite:
 * 1 DRBV26C sentry Radar
 * 1 Thales SMART-S MK2 (replacing DRBJ11B)
 * 1 DIBV2A infra-red alert system
 * 2 DRBN34 navigation and landing Radar
 * 1 DUBV 24C hull sonar
 * Syracuse II satellite communication system
 * 1 ARBR 17 Radar detector
 * 1 SAIGON radio emission detector
 * Countermeasures:
 * 1 ARBB 33 jammer
 * 2 SAGAIE NG decoy launchers
 * 2 DAGAIE decoy launchers
 * Armament:
 * 1 × Creusot- Loire Compact 100mm/55-caliber Mod 68 dual purpose naval gun
 * 1 x Mk.13 Single Arm Launcher (fires 40 RIM-66 SM-1 SAMs)
 * 2 × Sadral sextuple launcher (39 × Mistral CIWS anti-air missiles)
 * 8 × MM40 Exocet anti-ship missiles
 * 2 × fixed torpedo tubes (10 × L5 mod 4 torpedoes)
 * 2 × 20mm F2 anti-aircraft guns
 * 4 × 12.7mm machine guns
 * Aircraft Carried: 1 × Eurocopter AS565 Panther anti-submarine helicopter

France

 * MN Cassard (D614)
 * MN Jean Bart (D615)
 * MN Courbet (D616)
 * MN Durandal (D617)

Portugal

 * NRP Martim Soares Moreno (D336)
 * NRP António Raposo Tavares (D337)