The first three units ( Georges Leygues , Dupleix , Montcalm ) were commissioned in 1971 and laid down from 1974 to 1975. They entered service in 1979, 1981 and 1982. Four further units ( Jean De Vienne , Primauguet , La Motte-Picquet , Latouche-Treville ) followed between 1984 and 1990. With a planned service life of 30 years, the first three units were decommissioned between 2013 and 2017.
The first two units of the Georges Leygues class are armed with anti-ship missiles Exocet MM38, while the remaining units have the range-enhanced MM40. Air defense is ensured by an eight-fold Crotale launcher and two Simbad twin launchers for Mistral missiles. Either two 30 mm or two 20 mm MGs serve as barrel weapons for air defense. As part of an air defense upgrade, the first four units were each equipped with two Sadral six- launchers for Mistral and two 30 mm Breda / Mauser guns.
For their primary task, the submarine hunt, the Georges Leygues class has an extensive sonar system and two fixed torpedo tubes for the DTCN L5 torpedo. Furthermore, the units (except for Georges Leygues) each have two Sea Lynx helicopters for submarine hunting, each armed with two Mk 46 ASW torpedoes.
