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 . 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 .Preston p178 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 in length, and a typical armament of one gun forward, four Exocet missiles in box launchers amidships, and a gun aft, though actual outfits varied according to the operators requirements.Preston p179Conway p127
Ship list 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.Jane's Fighting Ships, 2018–19, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's By IHS Markit, 2018, p. 390. The was sunk during Operation Morvarid in 1980, while was sunk by during Operation Praying Mantis in 1988. These ships are not to be confused with the new and , 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.
+Kaman classPennantnumberNameOrderedLaid downLaunchedCommissionedStatus P221 19 February 1974 5 February 1975 8 January 1976 12 August 1977 In service P222 4 April 1975 14 April 1976 12 September 1977 In service P223 20 June 1975 15 July 1976 15 March 1978 In service P225 5 January 1976 21 February 1977 23 March 1978 Sunk in 1988 P224 15 October 1975 12 October 1976 31 March 1978 Sunk in 1980 P226 15 March 1976 2 June 1977 In service P227 14 October 1974 15 May 1976 12 September 1977 In service P228 5 August 1976 28 December 1977 22 August 1978 In service P229 18 October 1976 23 February 1978 11 September 1978 In service P230 17 January 1977 27 April 1978 1 August 1981 In service P231 12 September 1977 5 July 1978 In service P232 24 June 1977 15 September 1978 In serviceSource: Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships (1996)
Malaysia
+Perdana classPennantnumberNameCommission Year Class 3501 KD Perdana 21 December 1972 Perdana 3502 KD Serang 31 January 1973 3503 KD Ganas 28 February 1973 3504 KD Ganyang 28 March 1973
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.
+Beir Grassa classPennantnumberNameCommissioned518 Beir Grassa 522 Beir Gzir 524 Beir Gitfa 526 Beir Glulud 528 Beir Algandula 532 Beir Ktitat 536 Beir Alkardmen 538 Beir Alkur 542 Beir Alkuesat
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.Gardiner and Chumbley, pp. 192–193.
See also La Combattante-class fast attack craft Greek La Combattante IIa-class fast attack craft
Notes
References Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 (1995) Naval Institute Press|, Annapolis Preston, Antony The World's Worst Warships (2002) Conway Maritime Press