FS Prairial (F731)

Light-Class Surveillance / Monitoring Frigate

France | 1992

"FS Prairial F731, commissioned in 1992, continues to serve the modern French Navy today."

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

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 01/02/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

FS Prairial is part of the Floreal-class frigate group serving the modern French Navy. The class was established in the latter part of the Cold War (1947-1991) period to serve as light-class surveillance / monitoring vessels at a time when the foremost threat remained the mighty Soviet Union. The class ultimately numbered six total ships - Floreal, Prairial, Nivose, Ventose, Vendemiaire, and Germinal - for the French Navy with two purchased by allied Morocco (Mohammed V and Hassan II). Making her homeport out of Tahiti in French Polynesia, FS Prairial maintains an active status in the French fleet today (2019).

She was ordered in 1989 and her keel was laid down by Chanters de l'Atlantique on September 11th, 1990. The vessel was launched to sea on March 16th, 1991 and formally commissioned on May 20th, 1992.

As built, Prairial displaces 2,865 tons (short) under load and 3,250 tons under full load. Dimensions include a running length of 307 feet, a beam of 46 feet, and a draught of 14 feet. Power is from 4 x SEMT-Pielstick 6PA6 L280 series marine diesels coupled to a 3 x Baudouin 12P15 2SR electric plant with 1 x Ulstein beam propulsor. Power drives a 2 x Shaft arrangement under the stern.

All this allows the warship to reach speeds of 20 knots in ideal conditions and operational range is out to 10,000 nautical miles when traveling at 15 knots.

The ship's silhouette involves a conventional arrangement with a turreted main gun in the "A" position over the forecastle. Aft of this is the bridge center section which incorporates an exposed main mast. Midships is home to a spherical radome, low-profile (enclosed) smoke funnels, and an aft superstructure. A full-service hangar and helipad are built over the stern of the ship for the launching and retrieval of a single helicopter.

Aboard is a complement of about 90 that includes a modest air wing detachment. One "Panther" medium-lift helicopter can be positioned on the helipad at the stern of the ship. This aircraft can be equipped to cover a range of at-sea missions including Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Search & Rescue (SAR), transport, resupply, MEDEVAC, and the like all the while providing an important over-the-horizon capability. The internals of the vessel are also arranged to handle a full complement of thirty-five marines for supporting amphibious- or humanitarian-centered operations anywhere in the world.

The warship is equipped with the DRBV-21C (Mars) air-sentry radar system, the Racal Decca RM1290 navigation suite, and inertial/GPS navigation systems. The ARBG-1A Saigon and Dagaie systems fulfill the Electronic Warfare (EW) and decoy requirement.

Beyond its sensors and processing systems, Prairial features a modest combination armament mix made up of ballistic- and missile-based weapons. This is led by the single 100mm CADAM turreted deck gun and backed by 2 x MM.38 "Exocet" Anti-Ship Missile (ASM) launchers. For close-in defensive work, the crew can call upon 2 x 20mm Modele F.2 guns. As the vessel's primary role is surveillance and monitoring, her armament suite is somewhat limited compared to other modern frigates.

The warship's only major deployment was to East Timor during INTERFET where she served as part of the peacekeeping initiative headed by Australia (under the flag of the United Nations). She remained on station from October to November of 1999 (the conflict ranged from September 1999 until February 2000).

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one sea-going vessel design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for FS Prairial (F731).

4 x SEMT Pielstick 6PA6 L280 marine diesel engines developing 8,800 horsepower to 2 x Shafts; 1 x Ulstein bow thruster.
Propulsion

20.0 kts
23.0 mph
Surface Speed

10,428 nm
12,000 miles | 19,312 km
Range

Structure
The bow-to-stern, port-to-starboard physical qualities of FS Prairial (F731).

90
Personnel
Complement

307.0 ft
93.57 meters
O/A Length

46.0 ft
14.02 meters
Beam

14.0 ft
4.27 meters
Draught

2,865
tons
Displacement

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of FS Prairial (F731).

1 x 100mm CADAM turreted deck gun.
2 x "Exocet" MM.38 Anti-Ship missile launchers.
2 x 20mm Modele F2 Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWSs).

Air Arm
Available supported fixed-wing / rotary-wing aircraft featured in the design of FS Prairial (F731).

1 x Airbus (Eurocopter) "Panther" navalized helicopter or similar.

Ships-in-Class (8)
Notable series variants as part of the FS Prairial (F731) family line as relating to the Floreal-class group.

FS Floreal (F731); FS Prairial (F731); FS Nivose (F732); FS Ventose (F733); FS Vendemiaire (F734); FS Germinal (F735); MOROCCO: Mohammed V; Hassan II

Operators
Global operator(s) of the FS Prairial (F731). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national naval warfare listing.

[ France ]

1 / 1

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

Going Further...
FS Prairial (F731) Light-Class Surveillance / Monitoring Frigate appears in the following collections:

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