French future frigate programme passes twin milestones
Keel-laying ceremony for the first French Navy FDI frigate. (Photo: Naval Group)
The keel was laid for the first French Navy FDI frigate on 16 December; at the same time, the PSIM sensor mast was powered up.
In two important milestones for the Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) programme, Naval Group on 16 December laid the keel of the first vessel for the French Navy and powered up its integrated Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module (PSIM) mast.
‘We aimed to reach these two important milestones for the FDI programme by the end of 2021,’ Naval Group CEO Pierre Eric Pommellet said during the ceremony, ‘and today we are proud to say that we have achieved our goal.’
The PSIM is 40m tall and weighs 150t. It is a multi-deck sensor mast designed for integration on Naval
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