The stamp of Morocco issued in 2006 for the 50th Anniversary of the Moroccan forces depict two warships of the Moroccan Royal Navy.
Click on the stamp below to get a larger imago.
The Vigilance class is most probably the vessel in the foreground, the vessel depict on the background of the stamp is one of the Commandant Al Khattabi class, this class carried a satellite aerial dome as seen on the blow-up of the stamp.
The Lieutenant De Vassseau patrol class was built for the Moroccan Royal Navy by the Spanish yard Izar the formerly E.N. Bazán at Gadiz between 1987 and 1989 and exist of 6 units.
Three were ordered on 02 October 1985, with an option for three more taken up shortly thereafter.
P 310 LIEUTENANT DE VASSEAU RABI. Launched 23 Sept. 1987, commissioned 16 Sept. 1988.
P 311 ERRACHIQ. Launched 23 Sept. 1987 and commissioned 16 December 1988.
P 312 EL AKID. Launched 29 March 1988 and commissioned 04 April 1989.
P 313 EL MAHER. Launched 29 March 1988 and commissioned 20 June 1989.
P 314 EL MAJID. Launched 21 October 1988 and commissioned 26 Sept. 1989.
P 315 EL BACHIR. Launched 21 October 1988 and commissioned 19 December 1989.
Displacement 307 ton standard, 425 full load. Dim. 58.1 x 7.60 x 2.70m. (Draught), length bpp 54.4m.
Powered by 2 MTU 16V956 TB82 diesels, 7.600 bhp., twin propellers, speed 29.6 knots.
Range 3.800 against 12 miles. Endurance 10 days.
Armament 1 – 40mm gun Bofors AA, 2 single 20mm Oerlikons AA.
Crew 4 officers, 32 enlisted and space for 15 passengers.
The class is used for patrolling the 200 nautical mile economic zone of Morocco., and is a reduced-power version of the Spanish Vigilance class.
2007 All vessels of the class still in service.
The Commandant Al Khattabi class was built by the Izar (formerly E.N. Bazán yard in Cadiz, Spain for the Moroccan Royal Navy it is a design after the Spanish Lazanga class, which was a design after the German Lürssen patrol craft and made in license by the Spanish yard.
The class was ordered 14 June 1977 and the first unit launched on 21 July 1980.
P 304 COMMANDANT AL KHATTABI
P 305 COMMANDANT BOUTOUBA.
P 306 COMMANDANT EL HARTI in commission 25 February 1982.
P 307 COMMANDANT AZOUGGARH in commission 02 August 1982
Displacement 303 ton standard 420 ton full load. Dim. 57.40 x 7.60 x 2.70m. (draught), length bpp. 54.4m.
Powered by 2 Izar-MTU MA16V956 TB91 diesels, 7.780 bhp., twin screws, speed 29 knots.
Armament 1 – 76mm OTO Melara DP; 2 single 20mm Oerlikon GAM-B01 AA.
Crew 41.
The class have added fuel capacity over the former Spanish Navy version.
The class was originally equipped to carry four MM 38 Exocet antiship missiles but normally carried only two; since the mid-1990s, they have carried none at all, and the operational missiles have been rehabilitated and transferred to the new Floréal class patrol ships, which also received the 76-mm guns from the first two units of this class.
She can carry 300 rounds of the 76mm, 1.472 rounds of the 40mm, and 3.000 rounds of the 20mm ammunition.
Two of the class has been stricken the COMMANDANT AL KHATTABI and the COMMANDANT BOUTOUBA in 2001.
Info received from Mr. Peter Crifton. Combat Fleets of the World 2005-2006.