Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

Video: FDI And FDI HN Frigates Under Construction

The first of the defense and intervention frigates (FDI) is beginning to take shape at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient, Britany (France). Six months after its keel laying (December 16, 2021), the hull of “Amiral Ronarc’h” is fully assembled with some of its structures already in place. This first FDI, the next generation of “first rank frigate” for the French Navy, will be launched in the fall of 2022 for delivery scheduled for 2024.

Five FDI frigates intended will be ordered by the French defence procurement agency (DGA) for the French Navy. This program reinforces the technological lead of the French naval industrial base, and of Naval Group in particular.

On March 24, 2022, Greece and Naval Group signed the contracts for three FDI HN frigates, plus one optional, and their in-service support. Two FDI HN will be delivered in 2025 and the third one in 2026.

The FDI frigate is a 4,500-ton class high sea warship. Multipurpose and resilient, she features high level capabilities in all warfare domains. Strongly armed (Exocet MM40 B3C anti-surface missiles, Aster anti-air missiles, MU90 antisubmarine torpedoes, artillery), the frigate is able to embark simultaneously a helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

See - https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... struction/

Link from Tim.

OPV ITS Paolo Thaon di Ravel and La Fayette Class Stealth Frigate Guepratte flown over by a French Navy Bréguet Atlantique 2 and French Air Force Dassault Rafale C during joint training in the Northern Indian Ocean, September 2022.

Just in: new fire aboard Rubis-class SSN Perle

"On 26 September 2022, at 12:42 pm, while undergoing long-term maintenance at the Toulon naval base, a fire broke out on board the nuclear-powered attack submarine Perle."
See photo at - https://twitter.com/xaviervav/status/15 ... 83/photo/1
And more photos and Tweets at - https://twitter.com/xaviervav - Scroll down.

The US Navy's new high-tech aircraft launcher is being prepped for deployment on France's new nuclear-powered carrier

• France is making plans to build a next-generation aircraft carrier to replace Charles de Gaulle.
• The new carrier will have the same aircraft launch and recovery systems as the US's newest carriers.
• The new French carrier is expected to enter service in 2038 and remain there until at least 2080.
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See - https://www.businessinsider.com/new-fre ... ?r=US&IR=T

FREMM Multi Purpose Frigate Aquitaine pictured inbound on the Clyde. November 1st, 2022.

Hypersonic Missiles: Evolution Or Revolution?

The French Navy has long been aware of the opportunities that hypersonic missiles can bring for itself and its allies, as well as the threats this new technology would pose in the hands of its adversaries. Like the United States, it has been preparing for both the opportunities and threats, for over a decade.


Some keys to understanding the Technology, its Operation and Significance...

By CAPT Jérôme Henry, Executive officer of air defense FREMM Frigate Lorraine
and RADM Emmanuel Slaars, French Joint Force Commander in Indian Ocean
The First Libyan Civil War had ended in October 2011 with the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi’s government. At that time, most countries were focused on terrorism and the fight against asymmetric threats. Yet just a few months later, on April 4, 2012, the French anti-air defense destroyer Forbin was off the Île du Levant in the Mediterranean, preparing to accomplish a seemingly anachronistic feat: intercepting a target designed by the US Navy to reproduce the behavior of the Russian KH31 or SSN-22 supersonic anti-ship missiles. These missiles, built in the late 1980s, were intended to counter US Navy carrier battle groups. In this test, the French Navy sought to validate for the first time the performance of the Franco-British-Italian PAAMS (Principal Anti-Air Missile System), firing an Aster missile, in a live-fire test. The success of this test showed that France had entered the exclusive club of navies capable of defending against supersonic anti-ship threats.

Continues at - <https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... evolution/>

Lead Ship, FDI (First Defence and Intervention) Frigate Amiral Ronarc'h pictured yesterday, fitting out at Naval Group Shipyards, Lorient.

Naval Group workers fitting the Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module mast on FDI Frigate Amiral Ronarc'h, Lorient....November 2022.

Charles de Gaulle and Horizon Class Air-Defense Frigate Forbin conduct an underway replenishment with Durance Class Replenishment Tanker Marne...... December 7th, 2022.

Aquitaine Class FREMM Frigate Languedoc....2023.