7032 FRENCH FRIGATE AWISO-ESCORTEUR PROTET F748 1960S

Protet (F748) is a French frigate (fr. sloop-escort) the keel was laid in September 1961, was launched in December 1962 and entered service with the Marine Nationale in 1964. The total length of the ship at the time of launching was 103 m, width 11.5 m, with a full displacement of about 2,200 tons. The maximum speed was up to 25 knots. At the beginning of the service, the unit was armed with: 3 100 mm guns, 2 30 mm anti-aircraft guns or 2 triple 550 mm torpedo tubes. The Protet (F748) was one of nine Commandant Riviere-class frigates. Units of this type were built as ships intended for peacetime patrol tasks and for escort tasks (especially convoy cover) in wartime. Compared to the previous frigates of a similar role - the Le Normand type - they were clearly larger, had stronger artillery weapons and a significantly increased swimming range. The Protet (F748) was built at the Arsenal de Lorient shipyard in Lorient, Brittany. The unit underwent a very active service, often sailing in African waters. In 1991, she was assigned to Djibouti, but did not take an active part in Operation Desert Storm. A year later (1992), the Protet frigate was decommissioned and sunk in 2001 as a target ship.