FS Cassard (D614)

Air Defense Destroyer / Guided-Missile Frigate [ 1988 ]

FS Cassard D614 heads the two-strong group of air defense destroyers serving the modern French Navy.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 11/09/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery database.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

The Cassard-class (Type F70 AA) is a two-strong group of surface combatants serving the modern French navy today (2018). The warships utilize the same hull design and general construction of the Georges Leygues-class of destroyers but are instead outfitted to serve in the Anti-Aircraft (AA) / airspace denial role instead of the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) role. The two ships of the class are differentiated primarily through their armament and machinery schemes and continue in active service as of this writing (2018).

FS Cassard (D614) is the lead ship-of-the-class with FS Jean Bart (D615) being her only sister. FS Courbet (D616) and D617 (unnamed) were cancelled. Cassard, named after the 18th Century French Captain Jacques Cassard, was laid down on September 3rd, 1982 by shipbuilder DCNS S.A. and launched to sea on February 6th, 1985. She was formally commissioned on July 29th, 1988.

Cassard displaces 4,500 tons and has an overall length of 456 feet, a beam of 46 feet and a draught of 20 feet. The vessels are considered destroyers in some circles and frigates in others. Power is from 4 x Pielstick PA6 BTC diesel engines coupled with 4 x Diesel alternators which allows the vessel to reach speeds of 25 knots out to ranges of 8,000 nautical miles.

Aboard is a complement of approximately 244 personnel made up of officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted (special forces detachments are also accommodated as needed). The warship is outfitted with a bevy of systems to help search, track and engage aerial threats at range. Weapons include a single Mk 13 launcher for forty SM-1MR AA missiles, twin Sadral sextuple "Mistral" AA missile launchers, 2 x 20mm F2 series AA guns and 1 x 100mm /55 caliber Mod 68 Dual-Purpose turreted deck guns. For extreme close-in work, there are up to 4 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns. The warship is also outfitted with 8 x MM40 "Exocet" anti-ship missiles to combat surface threats at range and 2 x torpedo tubes for dealing with surface and undersea threats at range (10 reloads carried).

The ship's profile is conventional with the sole turret seated at the rear of the forecastle. The bridge section is immediately behind and above this area and carries the primary mastworks as part of the forward superstructure. An aft superstructure carries other pertinent systems and weapons while, at the extreme rear of the vessel, is a helipad for the launching and retrieval of a single navy helicopter (typically the AS565 "Panther" medium-lift design is operated).

As an Air Defense Destroyer, the warship is called upon to deny airspaces of importance, usually in defending key strategic waterways, hubs or the main fleet. She took part in Operation Griffin Strike in April of 2016 that saw the French fleet undertake joint exercises with the British fleet.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

1988

Origin

France

Status

COMMISSIONED
In Active Service.

Complement

244
PERSONNEL

Class

Cassard-class

Number-in-Class

2
VESSELS

Ships-in-Class

FS Cassard (D614); FS Jean Bart (D615); FS Courbet (D616) (cancelled); Unnamed (D617) (cancelled)

France

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Offshore Bombardment
Offshore bombardment / attack of surface targets / areas primarily through onboard ballistic weaponry.

✓ Land-Attack
Offshore strike of surface targets primarily through onboard missile / rocket weaponry.

✓ Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.

✓ Airspace Denial / Deterrence
Neutralization or deterrence of airborne elements through onboard ballistic of missile weaponry.

✓ Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.

Length

456.0 ft
138.99 m

Beam

46.0 ft
14.02 m

Draught

20.0 ft
6.10 m

Displacement

4,500
tons

Installed Power: 4 x Pielstick PA6 BTC marine diesel engines developing 42,000 horsepower with 4 x Diesel alternators driving 2 x Shafts under stern.

Surface Speed

25.0 kts
(28.8 mph)

Range

7,999 nm
(9,205 mi | 14,814 km)

1 x 100mm /55 caliber Mod 68 Dual-Purpose (DP) turreted deck gun.

1 x Mk 13 launcher for SM-1MR anti-aircraft missiles (40 reloads).

2 x Sadral AA missile launchers (six-tubed) (39 x Mistral missile reloads).

8 x MM-40 Exocet anti-ship missiles.

2 x Torpedo launchers (10 reloads).

2 x 20mm F2 Anti-Aircraft (AA) autocannons.

4 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns.

Supported Types

Graphical image of a modern warship turreted deck gun armament

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft heavy machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft automatic cannon

Graphical image of an aircraft aerial torpedo

Graphical image of an aircraft anti-ship missile

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

1 x Eurocopter AS565 Panther medium-lift Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) navy helicopter (or similar).

Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War period

Military lapel ribbon for early warship designs

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective naval campaigns / operations / periods.

Images Gallery

1 / 1

Image from the United States Department of Defense DVIDS imagery database.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)