La Combattante III-class fast attack craft

The La Combattante III type missile boats of the Hellenic Navy are a class of four fast attack craft ordered by Greece in September 1974 from France. The vessels had no class name but are referred to by type.[2] They are similar to the La Combattante IIa-class fast attack craft already in service, but are larger and armed with torpedoes. A second group of six were ordered in 1978, to be built under license in Greece and use Penguin Mk 2 Mod 3 missiles.

La Combattante III-class fast attack craft
PGFG Blessas (P 21)
Class overview
Builders: CMN Lurssen
Operators:  Hellenic Navy
Preceded by: La Combattante IIa class
Succeeded by: La Combattante IIIb class
In commission: 3 May 1975
Planned: 4
Completed: 4
Active: 4
General characteristics [1]
Type: Missile boat
Displacement: 359–425 t (353–418 long tons)
Length: 56.2 metres (184 ft)
Beam: 7.9 metres (26 ft)
Draft: 2.5 metres (8.2 ft)
Propulsion:
  • 4 x MTU 20V 538 TB92 diesels
  • 4 x shafts (P 20-23)
  • 18,000 bhp (12.54 MW) sustained
Speed: 36.5 knots (67.6 km/h; 42.0 mph)
Range:
  • 300 nmi (30 knots)
  • 2,000 nmi (15 knots)
Crew: 42 (5 officers)
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • 2 x CSEE Panda optical directors for 30 mm guns
  • Thomson-CSF Vega I or II system (P 20-P 23)
  • Radar:
    • Search: Thomson-CSF Triton G-band (range 33 km for 2 m2 target)
    • Navigation: Decca 1226C (I-band)
    • Fire-control: Thomson-CSF Castor II (I/J-band, range 31 km for 2 m2 target
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
  • Decoys: Wegmann chaff launchers
  • Thomson-CSF DR 2000S intercept
Armament:
  • SSMs: 4 x Aérospatiale mm 38 Exocet (radar homing to 42 km, 165 kg)
  • Guns: 2 x Otobreda 76 mm (85 rounds/min, 16 km anti-surface, 12 km (6.5 nmi) anti-aircraft)
  • Torpedoes: 4 x Emerson Electric 30 mm (2 twin, 1,200 rounds/min)
Armor: 2.5 in (64 mm) Kevlar over vital spaces

Ships

The ships of this class have been named after officers of the Hellenic Navy killed during World War II. They are:[3]

Pennant
number		 Greek
name		 Transliterated
name		 Namesake Builder Launched Commissioned Status
P 20 (original P 50) Αντιπλοίαρχος Λάσκος Antiploiarchos Laskos Commander Vasileios Laskos, captain of the submarine Katsonis, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 14 September 1943 Constructions mécaniques de Normandie 20 April 1977 Active
P 21 (original P 51) Πλωτάρχης Μπλέσσας Plotarchis Blessas Lieutenant Commander Georgios Blessas, captain of the destroyer Vasilissa Olga, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 26 September 1943 Constructions mécaniques de Normandie 7 July 1977 Active
P 22 (original P 57) Υποπλοίαρχος Μυκόνιος Ypoploiarchos Mykonios Lieutenant Sofoklis Mykonios, 2nd officer of the submarine Katsonis, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 14 September 1943 Constructions mécaniques de Normandie 10 February 1978 Active
P 23 (original P 52) Υποπλοίαρχος Τρουπάκης Ypoploiarchos Troupakis Lieutenant Stefanos Troupakis, 3rd officer of the submarine Katsonis, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 14 September 1943 Constructions mécaniques de Normandie 8 November 1977 Active

La Combattante IIIb
Simaioforos Xenos (P 27) in 1988

The La Combattante IIIb type missile boats of the Hellenic Navy are a class of six fast attack craft built in Greece to a French design. The vessels had no class name but are referred to by type.[4] They are a similar but newer design than the Greek La Combattante III-class fast attack craft, with the main difference that they use Kongsberg Penguin Mk 2 Mod 3 missiles. The six ships were built at Hellenic Shipyards (first launching in 1979). Kostakos (P 25) sank after collision with a ferry in November 1996.

Ships

The ships of this class have been named after junior officers of the Hellenic Navy killed during World War II. They are:[4][3]

Pennant
number		 Greek
name		 Transliterated
name		 Namesake Builder Launched Commissioned Status
P 24 Σημαιοφόρος Καβαλούδης Simaioforos Kavaloudis Torpedo Ensign Minas Kavaloudis, crew member of the submarine Katsonis, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 14 September 1943 Hellenic Shipyards 14 July 1980 Active
P 25 Υποπλοίαρχος Κωστάκος Ypoploiarchos Kostakos Lieutenant Ioannis Kostakos, crew member of the submarine Glafkos, killed in a Luftwaffe attack in Malta on 27 February 1942 Hellenic Shipyards 9 September 1980 Lost in collision with the passenger ship Samaina, 6 November 1996
P 26 Υποπλοίαρχος Ντεγιάννης Ypoploiarchos Degiannis Lieutenant Ilias Degiannis, Resistance leader during World War II, executed by the Germans on 18 June 1943 Hellenic Shipyards 11 December 1980 Active
P 27 Σημαιοφόρος Ξένος Simaioforos Xenos Machinist Ensign Konstantinos Xenos, crew member of the submarine Katsonis, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 14 September 1943 Hellenic Shipyards 31 March 1981 Active
P 28 Σημαιοφόρος Σιμιτζόπουλος Simaioforos Simitzopoulos Ensign Nikolaos Simitzopoulos, crew member of the destroyer Vasilissa Olga, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 26 September 1943 Hellenic Shipyards 30 June 1981 Active
P 29 Σημαιοφόρος Σταράκης Simaioforos Starakis Machinist Ensign Vasileios Starakis, crew member of the submarine Triton, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 16 November 1942 Hellenic Shipyards 12 October 1981 Active

Specifications

(per Conway[4])

  • Displacement Full Load (tons): 429
  • Displacement Standard (tons): 359
  • Length (m): 56.2
  • Beam (m): 7.9
  • Draught (m): 2.5
  • Range (nm): 700
  • Main machinery: 4 MTU 20V 538 TB91 diesels; 15,000 bhp(m) (11.29 MW) sustained; 4 shafts
  • Speed, knots: 32.5
  • Range, nautical miles: 700 at 32 kn; 2,000 at 15 kn
  • Crew: 42 (5 officers)
  • Missiles: Kongsberg Penguin Mk 2 Mod 3 (P 24-P 29); inertial/IR homing to 27 km (15 n miles)at 0.8 Mach; warhead 120 kg.

Degiannis (P 26) has been refitted with two RGM-84 Harpoon

  • Guns: 2 OTO Melara 3 in (76 mm)/62 compact; 85 rds/min to 16 km (8.6 nmi) anti-surface; 12 km (6.5 nmi) anti-aircraft; weight of shell 6 kg.
    4 Emerson Electric 30 mm (2 twin); multipurpose; 1,200 rds/min combined to 6 km (3.2 nmi); weight of shell 0.35 kg.
  • Torpedoes: 2-21 in (533 mm)aft tubes. AEG SST-4; anti-surface; wire-guided; active homing to 12 km (6.5 nmi) at 35 kn; passive homing to 28 km (15 nmi) at 23 kn; warhead 250 kg.
  • Countermeasures: Decoys: Wegmann chaff launchers.

ESM: Thomson TM1226, D-1280.

Modernization

The Hellenic Navy has decided to modernize the Fast Attack Craft Missile Class La Combattante III and La Combattante IIIb. For the four Combattante III fast attack craft, Thales Nederland will deliver a TACTICOS combat management system, including four multifunctional operator consoles, one surveillance radar, one fire control tracking system, one electro-optical tracking and fire control system, an integrated low probability of interception radar, two target designation sights and a tactical data link. The weapon suite of the Combattantes III will remain unchanged. Thales will also be responsible for the integration of these existing guns, surface-to-surface missiles and torpedo system. The first of the four ships will be ready mid-2006, followed by the other three with six months intervals.

Notes
  1. Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 p166
  2. Conway p166
  3. "Πυραυλάκατοι (ΤΠΚ) τύπου LA COMBATTANTE III" (in Greek). Hellenic Navy. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  4. Conway p166

References

Bibliography
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 (1995) Naval Institute Press, Annapolis ISBN 1-55750-132-7
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