Poster tampion french frigate Guépratte

The frigate Guépratte (F714) is the fifth ship of the La Fayette class in the French Navy. It bears the name of Vice-Admiral Émile Guépratte, famous for his bravery during the Battle of the Dardanelles in 1915 and for having founded in 1919 the National Association of Croix de Guerre and Military Valor. Its sponsor city has been Metz (Moselle), since October 2, 2004.

Its main mission is to protect the maritime interests of France in the overseas regions. However, it is also suitable for various other missions, ranging from integration into intervention forces to the protection of maritime traffic, the accompaniment of carrier battle groups, as well as special or humanitarian operations.

In terms of armament, the Guépratte is equipped with 8 Exocet anti-ship missiles, a battery of Crotale Naval surface-to-air missiles, a 100 mm turret and two 20 mm cannons on the sides. It also carries a Panther helicopter with two marine commandos specialized in precision shooting. Additionally, it has electronic warfare capabilities including radio and radar interceptors as well as decoys to counter anti-ship missiles.

The Guépratte participated in several operational missions. In 2009, he took part in Mission Corymbe aimed at ensuring a continuous presence in the Gulf of Guinea and off West Africa. In 2010 and 2011, he was deployed in the Indian Ocean for the Atalanta operation to fight against piracy. In 2011, he took part in Operation Harmattan off Libya. In 2016, he contributed to Operation Jeanne-d'Arc. In 2020, he was mobilized as part of Operation Resilience to provide medical support during the Covid-19 pandemic in the South West Indian Ocean.

The Guépratte thus embodies the versatility and commitment of the French Navy in various maritime and humanitarian operations.