La Combattante II-class

The La Combattante II class of fast attack craft originated as a German-French proposal intended for export. After France insisted on a domestic design, an initial group of vessels was ultimately transferred to the German Navy as the Tiger class. Following this, a significant production run of 37 vessels, known as the La Combattante II type, was undertaken for several foreign navies between 1968 and 1974. These export variants were built for the navies of Iran, Malaysia, and Libya, with a similar design also constructed for Israel.

These fast attack craft typically displace 234 tons with a length of 47 meters. A common armament configuration includes a 76 mm main gun forward, a battery of four Exocet anti-ship missiles in launchers located amidships, and a 40 mm gun aft for close-in defense. However, the specific armament and equipment fit varied considerably according to the requirements of each operating navy. For instance, the initial Israeli versions were armed with 40 mm guns and torpedo tubes, later receiving Gabriel anti-ship missiles, while subsequent Israeli models featured a 76 mm gun and omitted anti-submarine equipment.

La Combattante II type vessels have seen extensive service and combat deployment with multiple navies. The Iranian Navy acquired a variant known as the Kaman class; two of these ships, the Paykan and Joshan, were sunk during conflicts in 1980 and 1988, respectively. Iran later developed a heavily upgraded domestic version, the Sina class. The Libyan Navy also operated a variant, the Beir Grassa class, losing one vessel sunk and another disabled during a military confrontation with United States forces in 1986. The Malaysian and Israeli navies were also prominent operators of the type.