French navy frigate makes port call
28 May 2017 at 04:00
Thai sea cadets and naval officials had the
rare chance to board the French Navy's frigate Prairial as it visits Bangkok on
a diplomatic and maritime surveillance mission which aims to strengthen ties
between the Royal Thai Navy and the French Navy.
The Prairial was the second in a series of
six ships built in the Saint-Nazaire shipyards in France in 1990-92 by
Chantiers de l'Atlantique.
Her home port is Papeete in Tahiti, and the
name Prairial refers to the "month of pasture harvest" in the
calendar of the 18th century French Revolution.
The 2,600-tonne vessel is armed with 20mm and
100mm guns and Exocet surface-to-air missiles, and carries a transport craft,
three boats and one Alouette III helicopter. Patrol ship Prairial and its 100
sailors are now in the second month of a three-month deployment.
It visited Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and
the Philippines before arriving at Bangkok's Klong Toey port for its fifth port
call on Thursday.
According to commander Christophe Le Coz, the
ship will be docked in Thailand until today before returning to Tahiti.
"During the four-day period here, we
have opened the Prairial's doors to many Thai sea cadets and naval officials
and offered them guided tours around the 93.5-metre ship. The navies of both
countries have exchanged good experiences," Le Coz said.
Earlier this month, the Prairial conducted
international joint exercises with Thai Ratanakosin-class coastal defence ship
Sukhothai and some Malaysian and Singaporean naval ships around the Strait of
Malacca.
The operational exchange was aimed at promoting
stability in the region, free navigation and strong strategic partnerships.
"It is important to have stability and
freedom of navigation in this region, so we are working together to fight
piracy and international drug trafficking, and illegal fishing. And I can say
that we have worked very well with the Royal Thai Navy," Le Coz said.
He said both navies now aim to share more
information about international drug trafficking, illegal fishing and
exploitation of natural resources in the future.
The French commander and some of his crew
will visit the Grand Palace to pay their respects to the late King Bhumibol
Adulyadej and write messages of condolence.
Writer: Dumrongkiat Mala
Position: Reporter
Original post: bangkokpost.com
Floréal-class frigate
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General characteristics
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Class and type:
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Displacement:
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2600 tonnes (2950 tonnes full load)
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Length:
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93.5 m (307 ft)
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Beam:
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14 metres (46 ft)
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Draught:
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4.4 m (14 ft)
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Propulsion:
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Speed:
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20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
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Range:
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10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km;
12,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph), 13,000 nautical
miles (24,000 km; 15,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
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Boats & landing
craft carried: |
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Complement:
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Sensors and
processing systems: |
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Electronic warfare
& decoys: |
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Armament:
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Aircraft carried:
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1 Panther helicopter
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Source: wikiwand.com
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