French aviso Commandant Birot

Commandant Birot (F796) is a D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso in the French Navy.

Commandant Birot
History
France
Name	Commandant Birot
Namesake	Roger Birot
Builder	Arsenal de Lorient, Lorient
Laid down	23 March 1981
Launched	22 May 1982
Commissioned	14 March 1984
Decommissioned	Expected, 2025
Homeport	Toulon[1]
Identification	Callsign: FACB Pennant number: F796
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso
Displacement	1,100 t (1,100 long tons) standard 1,270 t (1,250 long tons) full load
Length	80 m (262 ft 6 in) oa 76 m (249 ft 4 in) pp
Beam	10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
Draught	5.3 m (17 ft 5 in)
Propulsion	2 SEMT Pielstick 12 PC 2 V400 diesel engines 8,900 kW (12,000 bhp), 2 shafts
Speed	23.5 knots (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph)
Range	4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	90
Sensors & processing systems	1 Air/surface DRBV 51A sentry radar 1 DRBC 32E fire control radar 1 Decca 1226 navigation radar 1 DUBA 25 hull sonar (removed when reclassified as an OPV)
Electronic warfare & decoys	1 ARBR 16 radar interceptor 2 Dagaie decoy launchers 1 SLQ-25 Nixie countermeasure system
Armament	2 Exocet MM38 SSMs (removed from French ships when reclassified as OPVs)[2] 1 × 100 mm CADAM gun turret with Najir fire control system and CMS LYNCEA 2 × 20 mm modèle F2 guns 4 × 12.7 mm machine guns 4 × L3 or L5 type torpedoes in four fixed catapults (removed from French ships when reclassified as OPVs)[2] 1 × sextuple Bofors 375 mm rocket launcher (removed from French ships when reclassified as OPVs)[2]

Design

Main article: D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso

Armed by a crew of 90 sailors, these vessels have the reputation of being among the most difficult in bad weather. Their high windage makes them particularly sensitive to pitch and roll as soon as the sea is formed.

Their armament, consequent for a vessel of this tonnage, allows them to manage a large spectrum of missions. During the Cold War, they were primarily used to patrol the continental shelf of the Atlantic Ocean in search of Soviet Navy submarines. Due to the poor performance of the hull sonar, as soon as an echo appeared, the reinforcement of an ASM frigate was necessary to chase it using its towed variable depth sonar.^[3]

Their role as patrollers now consists mainly of patrols and assistance missions, as well as participation in UN missions (blockades, flag checks) or similar marine policing tasks (fight against drugs, extraction of nationals, fisheries control, etc.). The mer-mer 38 or mer-mer 40 missiles have been landed, but they carry several machine guns and machine guns, more suited to their new missions.

Its construction cost was estimated at 270,000,000 French francs.^[4]

Construction and career

Commandant Ducuing was laid down on 23 March 1981 at Arsenal de Lorient, Lorient. Launched on 22 May 1982 and commissioned on 14 March 1984.

On 13 January 2014, the ship was cited to the order of the division for having distinguished himself in the conduct and successful boarding of the Luna S, a vessel filled with cannabis arrested off the coast of Algeria. September 8 to 13, 2013.^[5]

In May 2015, she participated in Operation Triton.^[6] She collects 217 castaways on May 2.^[7] She saved 297 migrants on May 20, 2015.^[8]

On May 23, 2019, she participated, with the patroller Jean-François Deniau, in the seizure of 7.4 tonnes of cannabis as part of a joint operation between the Customs and the Navy off the coast of France.^[9] In November / December 2019, it patrols the Black Sea and carries out military diplomacy and intelligence missions.^[10]

In 2022, it was indicated that the ship would be equipped with the SMDM (navy mini-drone system) to enhance her surveillance capabilities. ^[11]

In May 2025, Commandant Birot conducted her final cruise embarking 18 former commanders, including Admiral Nicolas Vaujour Chief of the Naval Staff.^[12] She is scheduled to decommission and be replaced by one of a new class of ocean-going Patrol Vessels (the Patrouilleurs Hauturiers), which are projected to enter service from 2027.^[13]