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Career (France)
Laid down:	15 September 1993
Launched:	12 March 1994
Commissioned:	1 April 1997
Homeport:	Toulon
Fate:	In active service
General characteristics
Displacement:	3200 tonnes, 3600 tonnes fully loaded
Length:	125 m
Beam:	15.4 m
Draught:	4,8 m
Propulsion:	4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 12PA6V280 STC2, 21000 hp (15 400 kW)
Speed:	25 knots (46 km/h)
Range:	7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h), 9000 at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement:	12 officers 68 non-commissioned officers 61 men
Sensors and processing systems:	1 x Air/Surface DRBV 15C sentry radar 1 x firing control radar for the 100 mm gun 1 x DRBN34 navigation radar 1 x DRBN34 landing radar
Electronic warfare and decoys:	1 x Saïgon ARBG 1 radio interceptor 1 x ARBR 21 radar interceptor 2 x Dagaie Mk2 chaff launcher 1 x AN/SLQ-25 Nixie tugged noise maker 1 x Prairie-Masker noise reduction system 1 x Syracuse II 1 x Inmarsat
Armament:	1 x 100 mm TR automatic gun 2 x 20 mm modèle F2 guns 1 x Crotale CN2 launcher (8 missiles on the launcher, 18 missiles in magazine) 16 Aster 15 missiles in vertical launchers 8 x Exocet MM40 block II missiles
Aircraft carried:	1 x 10-tonne helicopter (Panther or NH90)

The Courbet is a second-line multi-mission stealth frigate of the French Marine Nationale. She is the third French vessel named after the 19th century admiral Amédée Courbet.

The Courbet took part in Opération Baliste. On 3rd of October 2006, an Israeli fighter penetrated her 2-nautical-mile (4 km) defence perimeter without responding radio calls, triggering a diplomatic incident. Israel apologised after official protests from the French government [1]. Throughout September the ship was involved in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, helping to recapture a yacht taken by pirates on September 2nd.

See also

• French ship Courbet for eponymous ships

Photographs