DCNS floats FREMM frigate Bretagne
DCNS is nearing delivery of the FREMM Bretagne frigate to the French Navy, with the vessel floated at the company’s Lorient, France facility on 16 September.
A total of six FREMM frigates are on order for the French Navy, with delivery due to complete by mid-2019.
The vessels have been ordered by OCCAR as part of a larger programme that also called for DCNS to construct and deliver two FREMMs for the Royal Moroccan Navy and the Egyptian Navy. These vessels – Mohammed VI and Tahya Misr - were delivered in January 2014 and June 2015 respectively.
FREMM Bretagne is the fifth vessel for France. Three FREMMs have already been delivered, and – in addition to Bretagne – a further two are currently under construction. FREMM Auvergne will start sea trials at the end of September 2016, and assembly is set to begin shortly for FREMM Normandie.
France’s FREMM frigates carry MU 90 torpedoes, Aster and Exocet MM 40 missiles, naval cruise missiles and the Herakles multifunctional radar. The vessels are 142m long, 20m wide, have a displacement of 6,000 tonnes, top speed of 27 knots and range of 6,000 tonnes. They can accommodate a crew of 108 people and 145 passengers.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![From Poland to the Pacific: Can Miecznik become a blueprint for other navies?]()
From Poland to the Pacific: Can Miecznik become a blueprint for other navies?
Babcock is taking its Polish industrial partnership approach to Denmark and New Zealand as navies seek sovereign shipbuilding skills alongside ships.
-
![Unsettled waters in the North: can navies still trust their Arctic acoustic maps?]()
Unsettled waters in the North: can navies still trust their Arctic acoustic maps?
The changing Arctic environment is creating new challenges for submarine detection, driving demand for distributed sensors, uncrewed underwater vehicles and real-time acoustic modelling.
-
![Aevex, Lockheed Martin and Thales deals highlight consolidation in naval technology]()
Aevex, Lockheed Martin and Thales deals highlight consolidation in naval technology
A wave of acquisitions is bringing specialist autonomy and underwater technology under the umbrella of larger defence contractors. As a result, navies may gain faster access to capability, but not necessarily a broader choice of suppliers.
-
![Italy’s DDX destroyer deal opens a decade of naval spending]()
Italy’s DDX destroyer deal opens a decade of naval spending
A €3.7 billion destroyer contract for Fincantieri and Leonardo is only the start, with submarines, corvettes and a new carrier pointing to more opportunities.
-
![Production-ready beats prototype-ready in the US Navy’s MUSV marketplace]()
Production-ready beats prototype-ready in the US Navy’s MUSV marketplace
HII, Saronic and Galliano Marine Services have won US Navy production contracts to supply medium uncrewed surface vessels. The marketplace approach behind them sets the bar for suppliers eyeing allied navy competitions.
-
![Anduril’s $6.6bn wager on fixing America’s submarine bottleneck]()
Anduril’s $6.6bn wager on fixing America’s submarine bottleneck
Anduril’s Arsenal-2 is a gamble on a brand-new yard and perfect timing, but with Virginia-class output stuck at 1.1 to 1.2 boats a year, it is a bet worth making.
