![]() La Tapageuse
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Class overview | |
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Name | P400 |
Builders | Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie |
Operators | |
Succeeded by | Modified D'Estienne d'Orves class;[1] Confiance-class patrol vessel; Patrouilleur Outre-mer |
In commission | 18 September 1986 |
Active | 2 former French Navy vessels transferred to Gabon and Kenya, plus 2 built for Gabon |
Retired | 8 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Patrol ship |
Displacement | 373 tonnes (367 long tons) |
Length | 54.8 m (179 ft 9 in) |
Beam | 8 m (26 ft 3 in) |
Draught | 2.54 m (8 ft 4 in) |
Installed power | Electrical plant: 3 GE Poyaud Jeumond (120 kW (160 hp) each) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) |
Boats & landing craft carried |
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Complement | 29 |
Sensors and processing systems | UHF, VHF, HF, 1 DECCA 1226, 1 OMEGA M6, MF CRM 4215 radiogoniometer, shallow water tester, Ben LMN3 loch, CGM4 gyroscopic compass |
Armament |
The P400-class patrol vessels were small patrol boats of the French Navy. They were designed to accomplish police operations in the French exclusive economic zone (EEZ). They were built by the Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie, which specialise in small military craft. Two similar ships are in service in Gabon, the similar Macaé-class operates with the Brazilian Navy, and two ships were transferred from the French Navy to Kenyan and Gabon navies. The P400 class were originally designed in two versions: one armed with Exocet MM38 missiles, and another public service version with a smaller 16-man complement; eventually neither of these versions were commissioned as the French Navy chose an intermediate version.
All of these craft were based in overseas territories (DOM/TOM) where they conducted sea monitoring missions and secured the EEZ. They also executed missions in the context of French agreements with other nations, typically supporting foreign armies or carrying out humanitarian missions. Since late 2008, ships of the D'Estienne d'Orves class, with their heavy armament removed, were planned to replace the P400 in the high sea patrol role, a task for which the P400 class have proved to be underweight.[1]