France receives first modernised La Fayette frigate
Aconit will be the third and final frigate to be upgraded in the La Fayette class. (Photo: Jean-Marc Tanguy)
The service life of three upgraded La Fayette frigates will overlap slightly with new-generation FDI vessels.
The French Navy on 14 October announced it has received its first modernised La Fayette-class frigate after the Courbet completed an upgrade.
Courbet is equipped with a Kingclip hull-mounted sonar supplied by Thales, and the Crotale CN2 point defence missile launcher (also from Thales) was dismantled and replaced with two MBDA Sadral six-round launchers capable of firing Mistral 3 missiles.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that Sadral is integrated with the SENIT FLF combat management system. The launchers on Courbet are not new, having been recovered from decommissioned F70 anti-submarine frigates.
The operations centre has been completely overhauled and Courbet now
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Argentina’s submarine and frigate acquisitions resurface with $3.5bn funding plan]()
Argentina’s submarine and frigate acquisitions resurface with $3.5bn funding plan
Buenos Aires set out foreign loans worth $3.5 billion in its draft 2027 budget, opening a contest in which Naval Group and TKMS could lead the field.
-
![AUKUS heavyweight torpedo test raises questions over future armed UUV requirements]()
AUKUS heavyweight torpedo test raises questions over future armed UUV requirements
A heavyweight torpedo firing from the Royal Navy’s uncrewed submarine XV Excalibur suggests a shift beyond surveillance, with allied navies eyeing strike roles for large autonomous undersea vessels.
-
![Industrial teams prepare roadmap for Indonesia aircraft carrier transformation]()
Industrial teams prepare roadmap for Indonesia aircraft carrier transformation
Fincantieri and PT PAL have agreed on a framework to modernise the former Giuseppe Garibaldi, with drones, communications and broader Italian–Indonesian industrial ties involved.
-
![Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?]()
Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?
Payload commonality, combat systems and electronic warfare are emerging as likely priorities as the trilateral partnership balances building submarines with sharing industrial ecosystems.
-
![Singapore expands maritime presence with future-ready Sentinel OPV]()
Singapore expands maritime presence with future-ready Sentinel OPV
Singapore is building space for uncrewed systems and future technologies into its new Sentinel-class OPVs, reflecting a wider move towards adaptable vessels capable of maintaining persistent maritime presence.
