They carried a main battery of fifteen 138.6 mm (5.46 in) guns, had a top speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph), and had a full ship rig to supplement their steam engines during lengthy voyages abroad.

Lapérouse participated in the blockade of Formosa, along with her other two sisters, but Primauguet arrived too late to take part in operations against Chinese forces.

The Navy adopted a new construction plan in 1872, which envisioned a fleet for operations in home waters and one to patrol overseas to protect French interests abroad.

The minister had requested designs that strengthened the armament compared to earlier cruisers while keeping displacement similar, at the cost of speed.

The two proposals, which the council reviewed on 28 May, were prepared by Victorin Sabattier and Arthur Bienaymé, the latter based on his earlier Infernet-class cruisers.

Bienaymé's hull lines were superior to Sabattier's design, resulting in greater speed for the Lapérouse class.

In 1890, Lapérouse had her forecastle enclosed, and she received a short spar deck around her funnel that provided additional sheltered space.

[3][4] The ships' propulsion system consisted of a single horizontal compound steam engine driving a screw propeller.

[7] The battle led to the start of the Sino-French War, and the French sent several warships to reinforce Courbet, including the other three Lapérouse-class cruisers.

[8][9] After the war, Lapérouse and Primauguet remained in East Asia, while Nielly was moved to the Indian Ocean division and D'Estaing returned to France.

[10] Primauguet served as the flagship of the Indian Ocean division at the start of the Second Madagascar expedition to conquer the island in 1895.

[11] In 1896, Lapérouse departed for the Indian Ocean division, where she relieved Primauguet as the flagship, the latter returning to France to be laid up.