DCNS starts FREMM Languedoc’s sea trials
DCNS has started the sea trials for the FREMM Languedoc, the third of a series of vessels ordered by OCCAR on behalf of the French Navy and the French defence procurement agency DGA.
The sea trials will test the performance of the vessel’s navigation and propulsion system. The duration of the FREMM Languedoc's sea trials have been reduced to six weeks compared with the eight weeks undertaken for previous frigates as the programme moves into 'series mode'.
The FREMM frigates are being built on the DCNS' Lorient site. The company is on track to deliver six FREMMs to the French Navy before mid-2019.
The company will also construct and deliver two FREMMs for the Royal Moroccan Navy and the Egyptian Navy before 2022.
Anne Bianchi, director of FREMM Programme, DCNS, said: ‘The acceleration of the trial scheduling for the FREMM Languedoc is a demonstration of DCNS capacity to ensure efficient serial production.’
More from Naval Warfare
-
Is the US Navy’s Golden Fleet initiative achievable?
The effort to provide the US Navy with Trump-class battleships might face financial, production and doctrinal obstacles.
-
How will SAFE shape naval procurement for Canada and its highest-receiving members?
Canada’s inclusion on the EU’s Security Action for Europe initiative is set to enhance the country’s defence procurement strategy with important implications for some of its naval programmes, while Poland and Romania have also secured significant SAFE funding.
-
Thales wins DE&S contract for portable autonomous command centres
The agreement to provide portable autonomous command centres to the UK Royal Navy will enhance the service’s Mine Counter Measure operations and further integrate autonomous and uncrewed systems into its fleet.
-
Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?