Trident class, the modern PATRA (Rapid Patrol)

[Arghail 1,220]

 

Trident Class

The modern Rapid Patrol vessel

 

 

 

 

Context :

 

The 1950's in France saw the modernisation of their entire fleet, and the renewal of the French naval industry. Escorts and destroyers, AA ships and aircraft carriers were slowly bringing back French made equipement into the Marine Nationale, mostly relying on foreign, american or british made equipment since the end of the war. The French coast were guarded by new, military 400t coastal escort of the Adroit class. However, they were limited to military operations and liaison, and it was obvious that they needed smaller ships for more a more local, efficient surveillance. This surveillance was done until the end of the 1960's by American-made coastal minelayers of the MSC serie, the type D. However, those ship became old and obsolete quite fast, as the navy needed faster, smaller ships to cover he vast areas of the French EEZ, especially around their islands, in the pacific, the caribbean, or even the Indian Ocean. Following the satisfying results of the experimental patrol boat P730 "La Combattante", it was decided to create similar patrol boats. Those were the PATRA, or Patrouilleur Rapide, which means "Rapid Patrol ships".

 

History :

 

 The 1st of the 4 PATRA to enter production was the Trident, in 1975. At the time they belonged to the French navy, as they were the ones responsible for most of the coastal surveillance in France. Those ships were meant to carry multiple kinds of missions, which were this ones :

 

- Nuclear Ripost (absolute priority)

- Defense of the French naval holds

- Defense of the DOM-TOM (French islands)

- High Sea operations

 

It also included search and rescue, as well training and exercises with the special forces of the navy. The Trident was sent to the Caribbeans in december of 1976, and immediately started working, mostly facing illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Soon, she's followed by the Pertuisane (partisan) and the Glaive (gladius), which are both assigned to the North Sea, and equipped to face the cold of the Northern Atlantic climate. The last one, being built by another shipyard, is the Épée (sword), and it's sent to Mayotte, near Madagascar, the same year.

 

At the time, being still military vessels, they're heavily armed for their roles, the most distinguishing feature being the 6 SS-12 anti-ship missiles on each side of the cabin. During those years as navy vessels, their biggest catch was probably the Sea Rover, a cargo ship belonging to an international drug gang.We can also mention the Glaive, which towed a crashed British plane near the Casquet islands. Starting 1986 however, the ships are slowly replaced by the P-400 new high tech patrol vessels, and as such, all of them, along with the Combattante, are given the to the Gendarmerie Maritime, which becomes the main coast guards in France. They are then stripped of most of their weaponry, aside from .50 cals, and used as coast guard vessels. Although most of them have retired in the end of the 90's, the Glaive was still used until 2015, after which it was replaced as well.

 

 

Specifications : 

 

DIMENSIONS

 

Total length : 40.70m

Total width : 5.90m

draught : 1.55m

air draught : 13.70m

maximum displacement : 115t (148 max)

 

ENGINE 

 

type : 2 x diesel AGO 195 V12 CZSHR, 2200 HP in total (2500 full speed)

propellers : 2

max speed : 26 knts

autonomy : 1500 miles at 15 knts

 

ARMAMENT :

 

1 x 40mm CAS mle 1951 (French variant of the 40L60 BOFOR)

1 x 12.7mm Browning M2 machinegun or 2 x 12.7mm M2 machineguns (replaces the 6 SS-12 missiles in the 1980's)

6 x SS12M anti-ship missiles

 

CREW : 2 officers, 15 sailors

 

PHOTOS

 

PLANS :

 

 

PHOTO OF THE P673 PERTUISANE
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

PHOTO OF THE P670 TRIDENT
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

PHOTO OF THE P671 GLAIVE
 

Spoiler

 

Notice the covered missiles in this photo, as well as the 12.7mm MG on the back.

 

 

PHOTO OF THE P672 ÉPÉE
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO OF A MISSILE LAUNCHED FROM THE GLAIVE

 

Spoiler

 

 

SOURCES :

 

http://www.netmarine.net/f/bat/trident/caracter.htm

http://www.netmarine.net/f/bat/trident/index.htm

http://www.netmarine.net/f/bat/glaive/genese.htm

 

JACQUOT Laurent, Un siècle de véhicules de la gendarmerie nationale, ETA-I, 2005

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by Arghail

[Princess_Pinch 5,625]

Open for discussion. 

[Arghail 1,220]

3 hours ago, Princess_Pinch said:

Open for discussion. 

 

Thank you.

[SpatialX 135]

Seem to be a very good addition for the french tech tree.

If SS 12 are implemented in game, maybe we can see it on the Aloutte III

+1

[Nicolaser 2,024]

Even if I'm for it I would like to see a better boat to be on par with the  albatros and his equivalent

[Arghail 1,220]

3 hours ago, Nicolaser said:

Even if I'm for it I would like to see a better boat to be on par with the  albatros and his equivalent

 

Not sure why you would compare them since they're not the same kind of ships and most likely wouldn't be in the same Br if the PATRAs were added but... I guess the E50 "Le Corse" class rapid escort ships fit more or less the same rôle... they don't have any missiles, unlike the Albatros, but they have great firepower, and rockets.

 

There's also the escort sloops of the Commandant Rivière class which are equipped with Exocet missiles as well this time. That said, they're bigger ships.

Edited June 8, 2019 by Arghail

[Nicolaser 2,024]

There's not so much modern boat currently so that's why I said that

[Milocat 4,854]

I will support this when we get guided missiles for naval forces, but not before.  +1 when that eventually happens.