The A69-class avisos have been operating in various parts of the world for many years.
These surface combatants, also known as D'Estienne d'Orves-class were designed for low-density
military needs as the ship's first ship in its class. Alhough this aviso is not a complex
and expensive naval vessel, it still has performed its role perfectly, over 40 years. Now we
are investigating the A69-class, one of the last examples of the aviso legend.
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Before we begin to investigate the A69-class, it is useful to take a look at what is the
surface combat ship called aviso. The origin of the word Aviso comes from the
Portuguese "barco de aviso", which means "notice boat". Over time, only the word "aviso" started
to be used. The first avisos were small and fast ships, which served as a connection,
being used in the transmission of notices and other messages, between the different
ships and, between these and land. At the same time, due to their speed and agility,
they also carried out reconnaissance operations for the fleet. The modern avisos, on the other
hand, are an intermediate class between the patrol boats and corvettes, and they are performing
anti submarine warfare and coastal patrol missions. In NATO classification they are
usually recognized as corvettes. As the avisos are generally designed to meet civilian shipbuilding
criteria, they are cheaper to built and operate than corvettes. This makes them a more suitable
vessels for low-intensity military missions. FS D'Estienne d'Orves, the first ship of the
A69-class, designed according to this mission definition, was commissioned in 1976.
17 ships of this class were ordered as replacements for the E50 and E52-class frigates which were
defined as the escorteurs by the French Navy. France named these avisos with names of their
soldiers who showed heroism during the Second World War.
Although there are escort and anti submarine warfare in its mission definition, the A69-class
was originally built for the coastal waters patrol in the overseas territory of France.
Therefore, the endurance of the ship was quite high compared to its dimensions.
The A69-class, which can operate for 30 days without replenishment, has simple and durable
subsystems which do not need excessive maintanance. Over the past 40 years, these avisos have
proved their easy usability many times. At the beginning of the programme the class
was intended to be constructed in two groups, one of them with Exocet MM38 anti-ship missiles
and other without. However, all ships were later equipped with these missiles.
The A69-class are still used by Argentina, France, and Turkey. Argentina and Turkey classify
these ships as corvettes. FS Lieutenant de Vaisseau le Henaff and FS
Commandant l'Herminier, built for the French Navy, were sold to the South Africa while
they were still under construction. Later, the United Nations embargo started
to be applied to this country because of its Apartheid regime.
France, which could not deliver the ships to the South Africa, sold these avisos to
Argentina in 1978. Argentina then ordered one more A69. These surface combatants are
defined as the Drummond-class in this country. After that France built and commissioned two
new A69s which have same name with the ships sold.
Due to the economic problems in Argentina, only ARA Granville is active today.
ARA Drummond and ARA Guerrico appear on the navy's list but are inactive.
In 2000, Turkey bought six A69-class avisos, which were decommissioned by France, as the
replacement of the Hisar-class patrol boats. The Turkish Navy defines them as the Burak-class.
It is expected that the Turkish Navy will decommission these ships in a short time.
The A69-class has a complement of 90 people. The full loaded displacement of the ship is
1,250 tons. The aviso has nearly 81 metres length, 10,5 metres beam, and 5.5 metres draught.
Two 6,000-horsepower SEMT-Pielstick 12 PC2 V 400 diesel engines provided 29 knots maximum
speed. The ship can sail 8,330 kilometres at an economic speed of 15 knots. The original
design model of the A69-class has one 100mm Mle68 gun, two 20mm F2 guns, four 12.7mm machine
guns, two Exocet MM38 anti-ship missiles, one 375mm sextuple LR375 rocket launcher,
and two 533mm torpedo tubes. The weapon systems on these ships today differ
from the original design. For example, the French Navy reclassified the A69-class as
offshore patrol vessels. So, the surface-to-surface missiles and heavy
anti-submarine weapons of the ships were removed. On the Drummond-class, a twin barreled 40mm
Type L70 gun was installed in place of the LR375 rocket launcher.
In addition, these avisos have two 324mm Mk 32 triple torpedo tubes and A244/S torpedoes.
They are equipped the 20mm Oerlikon guns instead of the F2s.
The Turkish Navy also replaced 533mm L5s with 324mm Mk 44 torpedoes.
In addition, Turkey has removed the Exocet MM38 missiles from service.
Some later ships built from this class also have features different from the first models.
FS Commandant L'Herminier, which was decommissioned in 2018, had two 7,350 horsepower SEMT-Pielstick
12 PA 6 BTC diesel engines with infrared suppression systems.
The rocket launchers of FS Commandant Blaison and FS Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubert were
removed and the Syracuse II SATCOM terminal installed onto them.
Different from other vessels of the class, FS Commandant Ducuing and FS Commandant Birot
are not fitted with fin stabilisers. The Argentine ships are equipped mostly with
German and Dutch electronic systems instead of French.
The two diesel engines of the A69-class are located in a single engine room mounted next
to each other. They are controlled from a room abaft the machinery room. It is known
that the ship, which is suitable for low speeds, collects soot continuously in its funnel.
In order to overcome this problem, A69-class should sail at high speed from time to time.
This process is called "decarbonization". Although they were generally deployed in the
Atlantic Ocean for anti-submarine patrol during the First Cold War, the French A69s have frequently
shown themselves in low-intensity missions. FS Jean Moulin joined the Yugoslavia embargo
in 1993 and the evacuation operation in Sierra Leone in 1997.
Upon the intensification of the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, FS Commandant Ducuing
and FS Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet were deployed in the Red Sea within the Operation
Khor Angar, in 2000. In 2001, FS Commandant Bouan and FS Commandant
Ducuing were deployed in the Indian Ocean as a part of the Operation Enduring Freedom
for patrol mission. In 2002, in international waters, FS Lieutenant
de vaisseau Le Hénaff intercepted the Winner, a Cambodian cargo ship for narcotic smuggling.
After the 20mm gun of the aviso was fired for warning, the French naval commandos boarded
the ship and arrested 12 suspects. In 2007 and 2008, FS Commandant Ducuing and
FS Premier-Maître L'Her escorted the ships carrying food aid to Somalia.
In 2008, a luxury yatch named MY Le Ponant was seized by Somalian pirates in the Gulf
of Aden and 30-person crewmembers of her were taken hostage.
FS Commandant Bouan started monitoring the yacht. After that the hostages were released
without incident. In 2009, FS Premier-Maître L'Her answered
a distress call from the MV S Venus, a freighter of Panamanian registry, and arrested eight
pirates who attacked this ship. In the same year, FS Commandant Ducuing was
part of an important rescue operation. The FS Dixmude amphibious assault ship carrying
French soldiers who intervened in Mali in 2013 under Operation Serval was escorted by
the FS Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff from Toulon to Dakar.
Argentine A69s had to struggle tougher than their French counterparts.
All three ships participated in the 1982 Falklands War.
ARA Guerrico was deployed around the South Georgia Islands during the early days of the
war. Here, she was damaged by a Carl Gustav rocket
and machine gun fire of the British soldiers. In 1994, all three Drummond-class avisos participated
on the blockade of Haiti during Operation Uphold Democracy.
The UK claims that in 1995 ARA Granville harassed some trawlers around the Falklands. Also she
illuminated RFA Diligence of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary with her radar.
The A69-class TCG Bandırma made the first and only Exocet MM38 shot of the Turkish Navy
in 2006. Shortly after, Turkey pulled this anti-ship
missiles out of service. Because of the exclusive economic zone dispute
surrounding Cyprus, in 2006, Turkey launched the Operation Mediterranean Shield.
Since then Burak-class ships of the Turkish Navy have frequently patrol around of the
island. In 2012, TCG Bozcaada escorted the Turkish
cargo vessel MV Dadalı which was carrying aid materials dispatched by the Turkish Red
Crescent to Somalia. In 2017, Turkish naval commandos from TCG
Beykoz boarded the commercial ship MV Joy K in the Aegean Sea. This was the first interrogation
and boarding mission of the Operation Sea Guardian of NATO.
Nowadays, new aviso type surface combatants are not being designed. The A69s are also
coming to the end of their useful life. It seems that another class of ships is fading
from the naval literature. Nevertheless, they have successfully conducted countless tasks
assigned to them during their lifetime of nearly 50 years. Thus, the A69-class deserved
to be considered a legend in the naval history. Thanks for watching our video. And please
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