History
France
Name	Guépratte
Namesake	Admiral Émile Paul Amable Guépratte
Laid down	1 October 1998
Launched	3 March 1999
Commissioned	27 October 2001
Homeport	Toulon
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class and type	La Fayette-class frigate
Displacement	3200 tonnes, 3600 tonnes fully loaded
Length	125 m (410 ft)
Beam	15.4 m (51 ft)
Draught	4.8 m (16 ft)
Propulsion	4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 12PA6V280 STC2, 21000 hp (15 400 kW)
Speed	25 knots (46 km/h)
Range	7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h), 9000 at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement	164+[1]
Sensors and processing systems	1 × Air/Surface DRBV 15C sentry radar 1 × firing control radar for the 100 mm gun 1 × DRBN34 navigation radar 1 × DRBN34 landing radar
Electronic warfare & decoys	1 × Saïgon ARBG 1 radio interceptor 1 × ARBR 21 radar interceptor 2 × Dagaie Mk2 chaff launcher 1 × AN/SLQ-25 Nixie tugged noise maker 1 × Prairie-Masker noise reduction system 1 × Syracuse II 1 × Inmarsat
Armament	Anti-ship; 8 × Exocet MM40 block II anti-ship missiles Guns; 1 × 100 mm TR automatic gun 2 × 20 mm modèle F2 guns Anti-aircraft; 1 × Crotale CN2 launcher (8 missiles on the launcher with 16 reload)
Armour	On sensitive areas (munition magazine and control centre)
Aircraft carried	1 × helicopter (Panther or NH90)

Guépratte is a general purpose La Fayette-class frigate of the French Marine Nationale. She is the second French vessel named after the 19–20th century admiral Émile Paul Amable Guépratte. The ship was commissioned in 2001 and is currently in service. She is scheduled to remain in service until 2031.^[2]

She is the only frigate of the La Fayette class whose complement includes women, with 25 female crewmen on board. In January 2016, the first female commander of a frigate in the Marine Nationale was appointed to command Guépratte.^[3]

In 2016, Guépratte deployed as part of the Jeanne d'Arc battle group which included the amphibious assault ship Tonnerre.^[4]

In early 2022, Guépratte was deployed in the Indian Ocean but was expected to return to France in May after being relieved by her sister ship Surcouf.^[5] Guépratte was again in the Arabian Sea in late 2022, operating with Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, when it seized large quantities of hashish and heroin from a fishing vessel.^[6] In early 2023, it was believed that Guépratte was involved in the boarding and seizure of an Iranian vessel reported to be carrying thousands of assault rifles and anti-tank missiles destined for Yemen.^[7] The frigate returned to her home port at Toulon in March 2023.^[8]

In 2024, Guépratte was tasked to escort the helicopter assault ship Tonnerre on a prolonged deployment circumventing South America and also visiting North America.^[9]

Unlike other frigates of her class, it is not planned that she will incorporate a hull-mounted sonar system as part of her future sensor fit and therefore her potential anti-submarine capability is limited to that which might be provided by her shipborne helicopter.^[10] Guépratte is scheduled to undergo a modest structural and technical upgrade (with the elderly Crotale SAM to be removed from the vessel) and, given somewhat reduced general purpose capability, was to have been re-assigned to offshore patrol duties prior to her planned withdrawal from service in 2031.^[11] However, subsequently it was decided to retain the ship in the frigate role despite her not having received a mid-life upgrade.^[12]

v t e La Fayette-class frigates
French Navy	La Fayette Surcouf Courbet Jauréguiberry / Aconit Guépratte
Republic of China Navy Kang Ding class	Kang Ding Si Ning Wu Chang Di Hua Kun Ming Chen De
Royal Saudi Navy Al Riyadh class	Al Riyadh Makkah Al Dammam
Republic of Singapore Navy Formidable class	Formidable Intrepid Steadfast Tenacious Stalwart Supreme
preceded by: Floréal class followed by: none
frigates of the French Navy frigates of the Republic of China Navy frigates of the Royal Saudi Navy frigates of the Republic of Singapore Navy