)
Naval ensign of France
This is a list of active French Navy ships.[1][2][3] The French Navy consists of nearly 100 vessels of the Force d'action navale (Naval action force)[4] and the 10 submarines of the Forces sous-marines (Submarine force). Primary assets include 1 Nuclear aircraft carrier, 3 amphibious assault ships, 3 air-defence destroyers, 7 anti-submarine destroyers, 5 general-purpose frigates, and 6 surveillance frigates. The submarine force consists of 6 nuclear attack submarines and 4 nuclear ballistic missile submarines. Integral to supporting the Force d'Action Navale at sea are the French Navy's 3 replenishment oilers, 17 mine countermeasure vessels and 8 support ships. In addition to the above units, the Navy operates 15 patrol ships (supplemented by French coast guard vessels), 5 survey vessels, 4 experimentation ships, 4 ocean tugboats and 14 training vessels.
The French Navy does not use the term "destroyer" in vessel names. Instead, surface combatants of the first rank (such as the Aquitaine class) are named "frigates", though they are registered as destroyers (with hull numbers "Dxxx").
Submarine fleet (Forces sous-marines)
| Class | Picture | Type | Boat | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triomphant class | ) | Ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) | Triomphant (S616) Téméraire (S617) Vigilant (S618) Terrible (S619) | 14,335 tonnes | |
| Rubis class | ) | Attack submarine (SSN) | Rubis (S601) Casabianca (S603) Émeraude (S604) Améthyste (S605) Perle (S606) | 2,660 tonnes | Being replaced by 6 Barracuda/Suffren class from 2020.[5] |
| Barracuda class | ) | Attack submarine (SSN) | Suffren (Q284) | 5,300 tonnes | Five additional boats building/ordered |
Surface fleet (Bâtiments de combat)
Aircraft carrier
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_underway_2009.jpg')) | Aircraft carrier | Charles de Gaulle (R91) | 42,500 tonnes |
Amphibious warfare
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mistral class | _underway_off_Cadiz_in_May_2015.JPG')) | Landing helicopter dock (LHD) | Mistral (L9013) Tonnerre (L9014) Dixmude (L9015) | 21,500 tonnes |
Major surface combatants
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon class | _underway_in_the_Arabian_Sea_on_31_May_2009_(090531-N-9988F-406).jpg')) | Air-defence destroyer | Forbin (D620) Chevalier Paul (D621) | 7,050 tonnes | |
| Cassard class | ) | Air-defence destroyer | Jean Bart (D615) | 5,000 tonnes | To be replaced by two Aquitaine-class AAW variants (Alsace, D656 and Lorraine, D657) in 2021 and 2022.[6] |
| Aquitaine class | ) | Anti-submarine destroyer | Aquitaine (D650) Normandie (D651) Provence (D652) Languedoc (D653) Auvergne (D654) Bretagne (D655) | 6,040 tonnes | |
| Georges Leygues class | ) | Anti-submarine destroyer | Latouche-Tréville (D646) | 4,910 tonnes | To be decommissioned by 2022.[7] |
| La Fayette class | ) | General-purpose frigate | La Fayette (F710) Surcouf (F711) Courbet (F712) Aconit (F713) Guépratte (F714) | 3,800 tonnes | To be replaced by FTI in "first-rank" role; three (La Fayette, Courbet and Aconit) to be upgraded, including addition of hull-mounted sonar[8] |
| Floréal class | ) | Surveillance frigate | Floréal (F730) Prairial (F731) Nivôse (F732) Ventôse (F733) Vendémiaire (F734) Germinal (F735) | 2,950 tonnes | Class has anti-ship missiles removed and functions in a second-rank "surveillance frigate" role for French overseas territories. |
Patrol
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
) | Offshore patrol & support vessel | L'Astrolabe (P800) | 4,000 tonnes | Based in Reunion; co-operated by the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) Administration and the French Navy. | |
| D'Entrecasteaux class | ) | Offshore patrol vessel | D'Entrecasteaux (A621) Bougainville (A622) Champlain (A623) Dumont D'Urville (A624) | 2,300 tonnes | A621 based in Noumea (New Caledonia), A622 in Papeete (Tahiti), A623 in Reunion and A624 in Fort-de-France (Martinique)[9] |
| D'Estienne d'Orves class | ) | Offshore patrol vessel | Premier-Maître L'Her (F792) Commandant Blaison (F793) Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet (F794) Commandant Ducuing (F795) Commandant Birot (F796) Commandant Bouan (F797) | 1,250 tonnes | Originally entered service as avisos (sloops / light corvettes), reclassified as OPVs in 2012.[10] To be replaced from 2025 as part of the acquisition of a new class of ocean-going patrol vessels ("Patrouilleurs Océanique" - PO).[11] |
| La Confiance class | _moored_in_New_Orleans_on_19_April_2018_(180419-N-WW980-015).jpg')) | Offshore patrol vessel | La Confiance (P733) La Résolue (P734) La Combattante (P735) | 700 tonnes | P733 and P734 based in Guiana; P735 in Martinique |
| L'Audacieuse class | ) | Coastal patrol vessel | La Glorieuse (P686) | 480 tonnes | Based in Noumea, to be decommissioned by 2022;[12] Class to be replaced in 2022-25 period by 6 POM-type (Patrouilleur d’Outre-Mer) patrol vessels.[13][14] |
Mine countermeasures
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Éridan class | ) | Minehunter | Cassiopée (M642) Andromède (M643) Pégase (M644) Orion (M645) Croix du sud (M646) L'Aigle (M647) Lyre (M648) Sagittaire (M650) Céphée (M652) Capricorne (M653) | 615 tonnes | To be replaced by Système de lutte anti-mines futur (SLAM-F) starting in 2023[15] |
| Vulcain class | ) | Clearance diving | Vulcain (M611) Achéron (A613) Styx (M614) Pluton (M622) | 490 tonnes | To be replaced by SLAM-F |
| Antarès class | ) | Sonar towing vessel | Antarès (M770) Altaïr (M771) Aldébaran (M772) | 340 tonnes | To be replaced by SLAM-F |
Coastguard
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_moored_in_Concarneau_harbour.jpg')) | Coastal patrol vessel | Le Malin (P701) | 1,300 tonnes | An ex-trawler based in La Reunion. To be replaced by a POM-class patrol vessel. | |
| Lapérouse class | ) | Coastal patrol vessel | Arago (P675) | 980 tonnes | An ex-hydrographic survey vessel. Extension of role in French Polynesia until 2024 pending arrival of POM-class OPVs.[16] |
_le_11_novembre_2020.jpg')) | Coastal patrol vessel | Fulmar (P740) | 550 tonnes | An ex-trawler based in Saint Pierre | |
| Flamant class | .jpg')) | Patrol boat | Flamant (P676) Cormoran (P677) Pluvier (P678) | 390 tonnes | To be replaced from 2025 as part of the acquisition of new class of "PO" ocean-going patrol vessels. |
These vessels operate in conjunction with the Maritime Gendarmerie.
Auxiliary fleet (Bâtiments de soutien)
Replenishment
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durance class | ) | Replenishment oiler | Var (A608) Marne (A630) Somme (A631) | 17,900 tonnes | To be replaced by 4 Vulcano-class logistic support ships between 2022 and 2029. The french variant (Jacques Chevalier-class) will be 50% larger than the Durance-class.[17] |
Intelligence, research and experimentation
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
) | Tracking ship | Monge (A601) | 21,040 tonnes | ||
) | SIGINT | Dupuy de Lôme (A759) | 3,600 tonnes | ||
| DGSE diving support | Alizé (A645) | 1,600 tonnes | Also used to test new equipment and diving procedures. | ||
| Lapérouse class | .jpg')) | Mine-warfare experimentation | Thétis (A785) | 1,050 tonnes | To be replaced by SLAM-F |
Survey
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
) | Oceanographic survey | Pourquoi pas ? | 6,600 tonnes | Operated by IFREMER (55%) and the French Navy (45%) with civilian crew.[18] | |
.jpg')) | Oceanographic survey | Beautemps-Beaupré (A758) | 3,292 tonnes | ||
| Lapérouse class | ) | Hydrographic survey | Lapérouse (A791) Borda (A792) Laplace (A 793) | 980 tonnes | To be replaced from 2025 to 2027 by 2 new hydro-oceanographic vessels. |
Tugboats
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UT515 class | ) | Oceangoing tug | Abeille Bourbon Abeille Liberté | 4,000 tonnes | Operated under charter. |
| UT507 class | ) | Oceangoing tug | Abeille Flandre Abeille Languedoc | 2,220 tonnes | Operated under charter. |
Support
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
) | Support and pollution control | Argonaute Jason Pionnier Sapeur | 2-4,000 tonnes | Operated under charter. | |
| Loire class | ) | Offshore support and assistance | Loire (A602) Rhône (A603) Seine (A604) Garonne (A605) | 2,960 tonnes |
Training
| Class | Picture | Type | Ship | Displacement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UT712 class | ) | Training vessel | Rebel | 2,900 tonnes | Operated under charter.[19] |
| UT745 class | Training vessel | Partisan | 2,340 tonnes | Operated under charter. | |
| Léopard class | ) | Training vessel | Léopard (A748) Panthère (A749) Jaguar (A750) Lynx (A751) Guépard (A752) Chacal (A753) Tigre (A754) Lion (A755) | 470 tonnes | |
| Glycine class | ) | Navigation training | Glycine (A770) Églantine (A771) | 295 tonnes | |
| Paimpolaise class | ) | Sail training | Étoile (A649) Belle-Poule (A650) | 275 tonnes | Schooner. |
Other
- 17 x RPC12 harbour and coastal tugboats
For a complete list of Bâtiments de soutien (Auxiliaries) see Bâtiments de soutien at the official Marine Nationale website.
See also
- Future of the French Navy
- Maritime Gendarmerie
- List of active French Navy landing craft
- List of ships of the line of France
- List of battleships of France
- List of French cruisers
- List of destroyers of France
- List of French sail frigates
- List of French steam frigates
References
- ^ "Forces sous-marines" (in French). defense.gouv.fr. 12 March 2012. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ^ "Liste des bâtiments de combat de la Marine nationale par unité" (in French). defense.gouv.fr. 19 November 2014. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ^ "Liste des bâtiments de soutien par unité" (in French). defense.gouv.fr. 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
- ^ http://www.netmarine.net/forces/fan/index.htm
- ^ "La construction du prochain SNLE français débutera en 2023". Mer et Marine (in French). 2016-10-06. Archived from the original on 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
- ^ https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/11/photos-naval-group-launches-lorraine-its-final-fremm-frigate/
- ^ "Une année charnière pour le renouvellement de la marine française". Mer et Marine (in French). 2019-01-11. Archived from the original on 2019-01-25. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "DCNS Wins French Navy La Fayette-class Frigate Upgrade Program". Navy Recognition. Archived from the original on 2018-09-10. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
- ^ https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/04/french-navy-final-dentrecasteaux-class-bsaom-vessel-dumont-durville-enters-active-service/
- ^ Between 2011 and 2017 heavy armaments have been removed.
- ^ https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/06/french-navy-ageing-phms-and-psps-patrol-vessels-to-be-replaced-with-10-new-opvs/
- ^ https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/apres-le-retrait-du-service-de-la-moqueuse-plus-quun-p400-operationnel
- ^ "Patrouilleurs de la Marine nationale - Sénat". www.senat.fr. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
- ^ https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2019/12/socarenam-shipyard-selected-to-deliver-6-french-navy-opvs-for-overseas-territories/
- ^ https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/11/france-launches-slamf-mine-warfare-program-but-many-questions-remain/
- ^ https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2020/october/9144-extension-of-patrol-vessel-arago-s-operations-in-french-polynesia-until-2024.html
- ^ https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/05/construction-begins-for-french-navys-next-gen-replenishment-tanker-chevallier-class-brf/
- ^ Forces de surface - Les bâtiments hydrographiques et océanographiques Archived 2013-07-19 at WebCite, defense.gouv.fr, Retrieved 28 June 2014
- ^ "Le nouveau navire plastron de la Marine nationale arrive à Toulon". Mer et Marine. Archived from the original on 2016-01-16. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
External links
- (in English) French Navy - Guide Book 2011
- (in English) French Navy - Facts & Figures 2011
- (in French) Marine Nationale - List of ships
- (in French) Marine Nationale - Blogs for individual ships
- (in French) Net Marine
- (in French) Alabordache