Heller 81008 Duquesne

The Duquesne (D 603) is a French Suffren-class missile destroyer (in French nomenclature: cruiser and later frigate). The keel for this unit was laid in 1965, it was launched in February 1966, and it was commissioned for service in the French Marine Nationale in 1970. The full displacement of the Suffren class units was 6,900 tons, 157 m long and 15 m wide. The maximum speed was up to 34 knots. The Suffren-class ships were armed at the time of launch with: a single, dual-rail Masurca rocket launcher, a single Malafon missile launcher, 2 single 100 mm cannons, 2 30 mm Hispano-Suiza cannons, and 4 533 mm torpedo tubes.

Duquesne (D 603) was the second and last ship of the Suffren class. Units of this type were built with the intention of using mainly guided missiles and the cover of French airmen Foch and Clemenceau. They were units intended primarily to combat air targets and the activities of ZOP (anti-submarine warfare). The units had very good seagoing ability, and when they entered service - modern and rich armaments and electronic equipment. Duquesne (D 603), after entering service, belonged to the French Atlantic Fleet, and from 1975 it was based in Toulon on the Mediterranean Sea. In the years 1976-1977 and 1984-1985 the unit underwent modernizations, such as adding four single launchers for the MM-38 Exocet missiles. Duquesne was not decommissioned until 2007.