# La Combattante III-class fast attack craft

The La Combattante III type missile boats are two classes of fast attack craft built for the Hellenic Navy. The first group of four were ordered by Greece in September 1974 from France. The vessels had no class name but are referred to by type. They are similar to the La Combattante IIa-class fast attack craft already in service, but are larger and armed with torpedoes. A second group of six were ordered in 1978, to be built under license in Greece and use the Norwegian Penguin Mk 2 Mod 3 missiles. Since 2019, all the ships of the class use Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

## Ships
### La Combattante IIIa

The La Combattante IIIa type missile boats of the Hellenic Navy are a class of four fast attack craft built in France to the La Combattante III design. The vessels had no class name but are referred to by type. The ships of this class have been named after officers of the Hellenic Navy killed during World War II. They are:
| Pennant number | Greek name | Transliterated name | Namesake | Builder | Commissioned | Status |
| P 20 (original P 50) | Αντιπλοίαρχος Λάσκος | Antiploiarchos Laskos | Commander Vasileios Laskos, captain of the submarine Katsonis, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 14 September 1943 | Constructions mécaniques de Normandie | 20 April 1977 | Active |
| P 21 (original P 51) | Πλωτάρχης Μπλέσσας | Plotarchis Blessas | Lieutenant Commander Georgios Blessas, captain of the destroyer Vasilissa Olga, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 26 September 1943 | Constructions mécaniques de Normandie | 7 July 1977 | Active |
| P 22 (original P 57) | Υποπλοίαρχος Μυκόνιος | Ypoploiarchos Mykonios | Lieutenant Sofoklis Mykonios, 2nd officer of the submarine Katsonis, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 14 September 1943 | Constructions mécaniques de Normandie | 10 February 1978 | Active |
| P 23 (original P 52) | Υποπλοίαρχος Τρουπάκης | Ypoploiarchos Troupakis | Lieutenant Stefanos Troupakis, 3rd officer of the submarine Katsonis, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 14 September 1943 | Constructions mécaniques de Normandie | 8 November 1977 | Active |

### La Combattante IIIb

The La Combattante IIIb type missile boats of the Hellenic Navy are a class of six fast attack craft built in Greece to a French design. The vessels had no class name but are referred to by type. They are a similar but newer design than the Greek La Combattante IIIa-class fast attack craft, with the main difference that they use Kongsberg Penguin Mk 2 Mod 3 missiles. The six ships were built at Hellenic Shipyards (first launching in 1979). Kostakos (P 25) sank after collision with a ferry in November 1996.
The ships of this class have been named after junior officers of the Hellenic Navy killed during World War II. They are:
| Pennant number | Greek name | Transliterated name | Namesake | Builder | Commissioned | Status |
| P 24 | Σημαιοφόρος Καβαλούδης | Simaioforos Kavaloudis | Torpedo Ensign Minas Kavaloudis, crew member of the submarine Katsonis, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 14 September 1943 | Hellenic Shipyards | 14 July 1980 | Active |
| P 25 | Υποπλοίαρχος Κωστάκος | Ypoploiarchos Kostakos | Lieutenant Ioannis Kostakos, crew member of the submarine Glafkos, killed in a Luftwaffe attack in Malta on 27 February 1942 | Hellenic Shipyards | 9 September 1980 | Lost in collision with the passenger ship Samaina, 6 November 1996 |
| P 26 | Υποπλοίαρχος Ντεγιάννης | Ypoploiarchos Degiannis | Lieutenant Ilias Degiannis, Resistance leader during World War II, executed by the Germans on 18 June 1943 | Hellenic Shipyards | 11 December 1980 | Active |
| P 27 | Σημαιοφόρος Ξένος | Simaioforos Xenos | Machinist Ensign Konstantinos Xenos, crew member of the submarine Katsonis, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 14 September 1943 | Hellenic Shipyards | 31 March 1981 | Active |
| P 28 | Σημαιοφόρος Σιμιτζόπουλος | Simaioforos Simitzopoulos | Ensign Nikolaos Simitzopoulos, crew member of the destroyer Vasilissa Olga, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 26 September 1943 | Hellenic Shipyards | 30 June 1981 | Active |
| P 29 | Σημαιοφόρος Σταράκης | Simaioforos Starakis | Machinist Ensign Vasileios Starakis, crew member of the submarine Triton, killed when the ship was sunk by the Germans on 16 November 1942 | Hellenic Shipyards | 12 October 1981 | Active |

## Mid-life modernization

In 2003, the Hellenic Navy decided to modernize the Fast Attack Craft Missile Class La Combattante III and La Combattante IIIb. For the four Combattante III fast attack craft, Thales Nederland delivered the TACTICOS combat management system, which includes four multifunctional operator consoles, one surveillance radar, one fire control tracking system, one electro-optical tracking and fire control system, an integrated low probability of interception radar, two target designation sights, and a tactical data link. The weapon suite of the Combattantes III remained unchanged. Thales was responsible for the integration of these existing guns, surface-to-surface missiles, and torpedo system. The modernization project was completed in 2010.
After the completion of the modernization program, Hellenic Navy substituted all the existing anti-ship missiles (Penguin Mk2 Mod 3 & Exocet) with Harpoon missiles (coming from stock from previously decommissioned ships).

## Gallery

* Aerial photo of Simaioforos Xenos (HS P-27) La Combattante IIIb class FAC, in 1988