T47 BLM sea-to-air missile ships

The T 47 class was the first series of French Navy escort ships, built after World War II. Twelve ships were built between 1955 and 1957, derived from the Mogador-class destroyers. Their armament was versatile, suitable for anti-ship, anti-aircraft, and anti-submarine missions. They were designed to escort naval forces, including aircraft carriers.

These ships were modernized in the 1960s and decommissioned in the 1980s, replaced by the Georges Leygues-class anti-submarine frigates and the Cassard-class anti-aircraft frigates.

Between 1961 and 1965, four units (Bouvet, Kersaint, Dupetit-Thouars, and Du Chayla) were converted into sea-to-air missile ships. The United States had offered France the RIM-24 Tartar weapons system free of charge, an offer accepted by the French Navy in 1959. However, only the delivery of the first system for the Dupetit-Thouars remained free, with the others becoming chargeable. After the refit, the crews were reduced to 277 men, and the armament included Tartar missiles, 57mm guns, anti-submarine rocket launchers, and torpedo tubes.