La Combattante III-class fast attack craft



Fast Attack Craft Missile Class La Combattante III refers to four ships ordered by Greece in September 1974 from France. There are similar to the Fast Attack Craft Missile Class La Combattante IIa, but are bigger and armed with torpedoes. A second group of six were ordered in 1978, but were built in Greece and use Penguin Mk 2 Mod 3 missiles.

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 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 Combattante IIIs will remain unchanged. Thales will also be responsible for the integration of these existing guns, surface-to-surface missiles and torpedoes. The first of the four ships were ready by mid-2006, followed by the other three with six months intervals.

Ships

 * PGFG Laskos (P 20), commissioned 20 Apr 1977
 * PGFG Blessas (P 21), commissioned 7 July 1977
 * PGFG Mikonios (P 22), commissioned 10 Feb 1978
 * PGFG Troupakis (P 23), commissioned 8 Nov 1977

Specifications
4 Emerson Electric 30 mm (2 twin); multipurpose; 1,200 rounds/min combined to 6 km (3.2 nmi); weight of shell 0.35 kg. ESM: Thomson-CSF DR 2000S; intercept. Navigation: Decca 1226C; I-band. Fire control: Thomson-CSF Castor II; I/J-band; range 31 km (17 nmi) for 2 m2 target.
 * Displacement, tons: 359 standard; 425 full load
 * Length (m): 56.2
 * Beam (m): 8
 * Draught (m): 2.1
 * Range (nmi): 700 at 32 kn; 2,500 at 15 kn
 * Speed (knots):36
 * Main machinery: 4 MTU 20V 538 TB92 diesels; 17,060 hp(m) (12.54 MW) sustained; 4 shafts (P 20-23)
 * Crew: 42 (5 officers)
 * Missiles: SSM: 4 Aérospatiale mm 38 Exocet; inertial cruise; active radar homing to 42 km (23 nmi) at 0.9 Mach; warhead 165 kg.
 * Guns: 2 OTO Melara 3 inch (76 mm)/62 compact; 85 rounds/min to 16 km (8.6 nmi) anti-surface; 12 km (6.5 nmi) anti-aircraft; weight of shell 6 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.
 * Weapons control: 2 CSEE Panda optical directors for 30 mm guns. Thomson-CSF Vega I or II system (P 20-P 23). NFT PFCS-2 (P 24-P 29).
 * Radars: Surface search: Thomson-CSF Triton; G-band; range 33 km (18 nmi) for 2 m2 target.