La Combattante II type fast attack craft

The La Combattante II patrol boat was a type of fast attack craft built in France for export during the 1970s. Some 37 were built in various classes for several navies around the world.

Development
The La Combattante II type fast attack craft began as a German-French joint venture, proposed by the German government to combine a Lürssen-designed fast patrol boat with Aerospatiale's Exocet missile. These were intended for export to Israel. However the French government insisted on a French design from Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN) in Cherbourg and for half the boats in the order to be built in France. In the end the first group of 20 boats to be built were transferred to the German Bundesmarine, for political reasons. They were commissioned in 1968 as the Tiger-class fast attack craft. A number of these were later sold on to the navies of Greece, Chile and Egypt.

Following this, between 1968 and 1974 CMN built a further 37 vessels for export. these were known as the La Combattante II type, after the vessel used for trials of the Exocet, the patrol craft FRENCH PATROL VESSEL La Combattante. These were built for the navies of Iran (12 Kaman class), Malaysia (four Perdana class) and Libya (nine Beir Grassa class). In the same period CMN built 12 fast attack craft to a similar design for Israel (the Sa'ar 1-3 classes) which are included by some sources in the type.

These vessels were typically of 234 tons displacement and 47 m in length, and a typical armament of one 76 mm gun forward, four Exocet missiles in box launchers amidships, and a 40 mm gun aft, though actual outfits varied according to the operators requirements.

Iran
Iran ordered 12 ships of the same class (known in Iran as Kaman class), nine of which were delivered in 1977 and 1978, and three of which were delayed until 1981 as a result of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The IRANIAN FAST ATTACK CRAFT Paykan was sunk during Operation Morvarid in 1980, while IRANIAN FAST ATTACK CRAFT Joshan was sunk by USS Simpson (FFG-56) during Operation Praying Mantis in 1988. These ships are not to be confused with the new IRANIAN MISSILE BOAT Joshan and IRANIAN MISSILE BOAT Paykan, which were named in their memories. Iran built a heavily upgraded version of this class called the Sina class. As of 2012 Iran has built four Sina-class vessels and is building five more of this class.

Libya
A version called the Beir Grassa class, of which 10 were built and 8 were operational as of 1995, were used by the Libyan Navy. One had been sunk and another disabled during a 1986 confrontation with US forces.

Israel
An initial group of six boats was ordered in 1965, with an armament of Bofors 40 mm guns, torpedo tubes and provision for fitting sonar. This group was designated the Sa'ar 1 class. When refitted with Gabriel anti-ship missiles, they became the Sa'ar 2 class.

A second group of six boats, the Sa'ar 3 class, was ordered in 1968, with an OTO Melara 76 mm gun instead of the Bofors guns of the Sa'ar 1 class and with anti-submarine provisions omitted.