Le Normand-class frigate

	Le Gascon (1965)
Class overview
Name	Le Normand class
Builders	Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerrané; Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire; Arsenal de Lorient; Ateliers et Chantiers de Penhoët;
Operators	French Navy
Preceded by	Le Corse class
Succeeded by	Commandant Rivière class
Built	1956–1960
In commission	1956–1985
Completed	14
Retired	14
General characteristics
Type	Frigate
Displacement	1295 ton standard, 1795 ton full load
Length	99.3 m (325 ft 9 in) overall
Beam	10.3 m (33 ft 10 in)
Draught	4.1 m (13 ft 5 in)
Propulsion	2 shaft Parsons or Le Rateau geared turbines, 2 boilers, 14,914 kW (20,000 hp)
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range	4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi)
Complement	175 peace, 200 war
Sensors &; processing systems	DRBV 22, DRBC 31 radar, DUBV 1, DUBA 1 sonar
Armament	6 × 57mm/60 modèle 1951 guns (3 × 2); 2 × 20 mm (2 × 1); 12 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo-tubes (4 × 3); 6 × 375 mm ASW rocket launchers (1 × 6); 2 × depth charge launcher, 1 × depth charge rack;

The Le Normand class (or E52 Type) was a class of 14 fast frigates (Escorteurs Rapide) built for the French Navy in the late 1950s. They were an immediate follow-on from the earlier Le Corse-class (or E50 type) frigates, and like them, were long-range convoy escorts capable of high speed. The first seven ships, paid for by the United States under the Mutual Defense Assistance Act were ordered in 1952. The remaining seven ships were paid for by France and ordered between 1953 and 1955.