In the French Navy, they will be incrementally superseded in "first-rank" functions by five frégates de taille intermédiaire (FTI, "intermediate size frigates") from 2024.

[9][10][11] In the late 1980s, the French Navy (Marine Nationale) started the studies for frigates adapted to low-intensity conflicts in the post–Cold War era.

Conventional warships used in low-intensity or humanitarian relief operations proved costly, with their heavy equipment and large crew.

In Italy, the same requirements led to the development of the Cassiopea and Minerva type corvettes, built according to both civilian and military standards.

These ships are high endurance units designed to be operated in overseas territories in the Caribbean Sea, Polynesia, and New Caledonia and the EEZ, where the likelihood of a naval threat is low.

To fight pirates in fast rigid-hulled inflatable boats, the Floréals rely on their onboard helicopter and marine detachment.

The niche for more hostile environments is covered by the La Fayette type, designed to operate in complex zones like the Indian Ocean or Djibouti.

Weapon system testing took place in 1994, and particularly extensive trials were undertaken to prove the structure of the ship under a wide range of conditions.

At the time of their commissioning, the units of the La Fayette class were the state of the art[citation needed] in stealth for warships.

In case of a direct attack, the small radar signature helps evade enemy missiles and fire control systems.

[citation needed] The La Fayettes are also equipped with jammers that can generate false radar images, as well as decoy launchers.

Thanks to the adoption of low-power diesel motors and a special heat dissipation system, the La Fayette ships have a low thermal signature.

The La Fayettes are equipped with the Prairie Masker active acoustic camouflage system, which generates small bubbles from underneath the hull to confuse sonars.

The superstructure runs continuously down to the helicopter hangar, on top of which short-range anti-aircraft Crotale missiles were initially installed (being replaced on three ships in the early 2020s with the SADRAL/Mistral system).

Three of the French Navy frigates (La Fayette, Courbet and Aconit) were selected to receive mid-life upgrades extending their useful service lives into the early 2030s.

The three frigates are receiving KingKlip Mk2 hull-mounted sonar to incorporate an anti-submarine capability, modernized point air defence systems (consisting of two renovated SADRAL launchers, removed from the retired Georges Leygues class, and operating Mistral Mk3 SAMs/SSMs) as well as other improvements including the ability to carry the latest version of the Exocet anti-ship missile and CANTO anti-torpedo countermeasures (initially fitted first to La Fayette when she received her upgrade in 2021–22).

The other two vessels of the class (Surcouf and Guépratte) were scheduled to undergo more modest structural and technical upgrades (with the elderly Crotale SAM to be removed), and be withdrawn from service in 2027 and 2031 respectively.

[11] With somewhat reduced general purpose capability, it had been anticipated that the two ships would be re-assigned to offshore patrol duties for the remainder of their service life.

[21] From 2024 the La Fayette-class units will be incrementally complemented, and eventually replaced, in first rank functions in the French Navy by the FDI-class frigates.