Floréal - class frigate The " Floréal " class is a type of light " surveillance frigates " designed for the needs of the French Navy after the end of the Cold War , ordered in 1989 . They use construction standards of commercial ships . The ships are named after months of the Republican Calendar . Definition of the requirements . After the end of the Cold War , it was felt that the risks of a large - scale military confrontation had all but disappeared . The " Marine Nationale " had to face new missions , while its escort aviso s from the 80s were ageing , and also badly adapted to low - risk zones . The concept of " sentry frigate " emerged from the will of the French government to protect its Exclusive Economic Zone ( 12 million km² ) , as defined in the Montego Bay treaties . Another need was to address matters of humanitarian aid , diplomacy , or naval law enforcement . To address these missions , an onboard helicopter is clearly the optimal solution , providing versatile , swift and long - range capabilities to deliver support , ferry or rescue . These constraints defined the need for a ship which would be small ; extremely stable to allow use of a heavy helicopter in all weather ; small crew , while retaining capacities to accommodate navy commandos ; light armament ; economic and long - range propulsion system . Construction . To make the ship more economical , civilian construction methods were used at the " Chantiers de l ' Atlantique " in Saint Nazaire . The ships use the SOLAS ( Safety Of Life At Sea ) regulations , which require the hull to have eleven watertight compartments . The rules of the classification society Det Norske Veritas are used for energy production and safety . The ships were built in series , each with six pre - fabricated parts weighing up to 570 tonnes that were assembled and welded in a dry dock . ( The construction method was later used for the " La Fayette " class ) . The first trials at sea were carried out in 1991 with an entirely civilian crew , while the " Marine Nationale " was only present as an observer . Equipment . The armament was ordered from the " DCN Lorient " , a traditional naval provider for the French Navy . The " Floréal " class , though designed to operate in low - risk areas , carry their own armament ( they are not dependent on their helicopter ) . The most visible piece of armament is the standard 100 mm multipurpose gun turret , which is a feature of most modern French warships . It is installed in one block , with the magazine shelter and the targeting computer . All " Floreal " frigates are fitted with two Exocet missile launchers , a Dagaie decoy launcher system , two 20 mm Mod F2 cannons , as well as a complete range of detection and counter - measure electronics . The helicopter is a naval " Panther " , carrying no armament itself . Royal Moroccan Navy . The Royal Moroccan Navy ( Marine Royale ) operates two " Floreal " - class frigates . The two frigates are named after the late Kings Mohammed V and Hassan II . The two frigates are accompanied by a total of 3 Panther helicopters . Also , the two units are armed with Oto Melara 76 mm instead of the French 100 mm naval gun s with which French units are commonly armed .