D609 ACONIT was a unique frigate Type F65 built for the French Navy during the Cold War. She was commissioned in 1973 and served until 1997 after she was succeeded by the Tourville Class Frigates.
She was laid down at the Arsenal de Lorient on 22 March 1968, launched on 7 March 1970 and commissioned on 30 March 1973. She was initially based at Toulon before transferring to Brest in 1975, having changed her pennant number from F703 to D609 on 1st January 1974.
The ship received several upgrades during her lifetime. In the 1970s she was fitted with the ARBR-16 radar detector and two Syllex chaff launchers. During 1984/85 she underwent a Indisponibilité pour Entretien et Réparations (“Unavailability for Maintenance and Repairs”) during which the 305 mm anti-submarine mortar was replaced by eight Exocet MM40 missiles, and the DRBV-13 radar in the radome upgraded to the DRBV-15A.
In 1988 she was re-designated a Type F65 frigate.
Scheduled to be in service until 2004, she was decommissioned on 27 February 1997 as part of a Fleet Reduction Programme. As of 2010 she was laid up at the French Navy “graveyard” at Lanveoc awaiting demolition.
Meanwhile last Saturday 24th November, 2018 she was spotted towed by the 2008 built tug MULTRATUG 17 to be demolished.
Photos by Ronald Ribbe . Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
