French Navy: News

https://mobile.twitter.com/indiannavy

Lot of nice pictures in this account of exercice btw french and indian navy.

Aster 15 Launch: FREMM Frigate Bretagne Intercepts Supersonic Target



On May 12, 2019, the multi-mission frigate (FREMM) Bretagne successfully intercepted a supersonic target flying at over Mach 2 during an allied fire campaign using its radar-based Combat Management System (Naval Group), consisting of Herakles radar (Thales) and the Aster 15 anti-air missile (MBDA).

Less than three months after her admission to active duty, it was Bretagne's first Aster 15 launch. It was carried out during Exercise Formidable Shield 2019, which involves ships from nine allied navies, including two French frigates of the last generation: the Aquitaine and the Bretagne. Formidable Shield 2019 is an exercise designed to test participating countries' weapons systems against the latest threats, notably supersonic and ballistic missiles.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/202678/fs-bretagne-shoots-down-supersonic-target-with-aster-15-missile.html

http://www.opex360.com/2019/06/03/la-fregate-francaise-languedoc-lancee-a-la-poursuite-dun-sous-marin-russe-surnomme-septembre-rouge/

French sailors of FREMM frigates got a patch showing that they tracked a russian Oscar 2 (probably off Syria).

Would be more impressed if it was a Yassen.

Isos wrote:http://www.opex360.com/2019/06/03/la-fregate-francaise-languedoc-lancee-a-la-poursuite-dun-sous-marin-russe-surnomme-septembre-rouge/

French sailors of FREMM frigates got a patch showing that they tracked a russian Oscar 2 (probably off Syria).

Would be more impressed if it was a Yassen.

Unless it was a 949AM, who cares.

AlfaT8 wrote:

Unless it was a 949AM, who cares.

If they can track our submarines for 25 days straight then I care. It makes them unable to conduct operations while they are being tracked.

Vladimir79 wrote:

AlfaT8 wrote:

Unless it was a 949AM, who cares.

If they can track our submarines for 25 days straight then I care. It makes them unable to conduct operations while they are being tracked.

Sounds like good reason to finally start ordering more up to date submarines and stop relying obsolete Soviet leftovers

To say nothing of wasting money on white elephant projects of surface fleet

Vladimir79 wrote:

AlfaT8 wrote:

Unless it was a 949AM, who cares.

If they can track our submarines for 25 days straight then I care.  It makes them unable to conduct operations while they are being tracked.

I can't read the whole story about the "25 days" it is not a free article.

They also write that US don't beleive them about that (so US couldn't do that) and I remember words of the admiral in chief of the french navy saying that they can secure a zone with ASW operation but not all the coast. It was back when a russian sub was near french coast.

Ships a generally lowder than subs so the subs can also know about the FREMM following him. With its 533mm and 650mm torpedoes it still has some advantages over the FREMM.

Anyway the hard part is to find the sub before he finds you. When not runing on diesel engines the fremm is a simple target.

Edit: I found the article https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.letelegramme.fr/_amp/078/12210078.php

It's writen like a book rather than an article. I would take the claims with a grain of salt or two.

FREMM: A master asset on the high seas

Subscribers article
Posted on 01/03/2019 by Vincent Groizeleau

The multi-mission frigates are the spearhead of the Navy against the rise of threats. Reportage in the Mediterranean aboard La Provence, on the eve of its operational deployment with the carrier group.

On the instructions of the shift leader, the helmsman maneuvers his joystick. Insensibly, Provence is positioned a thousand meters from Charles de Gaulle, in his rear three-quarter. The tall silhouette of the aircraft carrier is part of the canopy of the bridge. Clearly the Rafale ready on their catapults. Abruptly, the reactors scream. Top off. In a few minutes, the mastodon drops a deck of four hunters.


A short distance from the Charles-de-Gaulle, Provence is ready to intervene in the event of a crash Rafale catapult ( MERIADEC RAFFRAY)

In addition to the Dauphin helicopter which assures since the carrier mission Pedro, in case of crash, the multi-mission frigate (FREMM) would have been diverted to recover the pilot: "We train regularly to this procedure always delicate in open sea, especially in rough weather, "explains Pasha, Captain Julien Duthu. He took command at Toulon this summer. After an early career in the Atlantic, Provence joined Languedoc and Auvergne.
Specialized in anti-submarine warfare but designed to be versatile, FREMMs are in great demand to cope with the growing threats offshore. In Brest, Aquitaine and Brittany operate. In the process of completion, Normandy will join them this year. By 2022, two more units (Alsace and Lorraine) are expected, with increased capabilities in air defense.

A signal sent to belligerents

The Rafales are heading south in search of "hostile" ships. They are simulated by pawns of the real naval armada that crosses north of Corsica that day. On the horizon, the sun is declining. In the corridors, the red lamps light up, marking the passage to the night. Most of the 108 sailors live confined within the superstructures. On this building of 142 meters displacing 6000 tons, the openings are almost non-existent, stealth obliges. Radar, infrared, acoustic, magnetic: "the footprint" of the FREMM is limited. Its gas turbine gives it the power of acceleration and the speed required to follow the aircraft carrier, while its propulsion in diesel-electric mode guarantees its discretion and autonomy. In case of crisis, it takes less than three days from Toulon to reach the eastern Mediterranean to inform the staff through its sensors. Its only presence is a signal sent to belligerents: it carries 16 cruise missiles capable of striking ground targets at 1000 kilometers. It can also track a Russian submarine from the North Atlantic to Gibraltar for 25 days without a break: "Believe me, when a commander realizes he is constantly being followed, the pressure changes sides," smiles on Commander of Provence.


Trailed Sonar Captas 4 ( SEA AND MARINE - VINCENT GROIZELEAU)

Americans "incredulous"

At the back, a bell rings. It announces the opening of the hatch at the water's edge that masks the building's main asset against the submarines: its sonar Captas 4. Suspended by a mechanical arm extended by a coil containing 2 kilometers of cable, this condensed miniaturized technology has been developed by Thales. Towed at varying depths depending on the conditions of temperature, pressure and salinity of the water, the module painted in yellow produces miracles. "Incredulous, our American partners demanded to check our parameters," says Lieutenant-Commander Pauline, an officer in charge of anti-submarine warfare. At Central Operations, four screens are assigned to this "domain". On one of them, the traces of the mechanical noise picked up by the two sonars of the building are displayed in green, which also has an integrated antenna at its bow. An operator continues to listen to sounds: it is the crossroads of technique and experience that produce the best results. If necessary, the Cayman helicopter parked on the back beach takes off to raise a doubt or refine a contact using its own sensors. Astonishingly stable, the aircraft can fly hours in heavy weather.


Trapped Sonar Captas 4 ( NATIONAL MARINE - LISA BESSODES)


The FREMM Provence escorting Charles de Gaulle ( NATIONAL MARINE - YOANN LETOURNEAU)

"A bubble around the aircraft carrier"

Another screen has a series of circles and dots of color. The pictogram materializes the tactical situation under water for the whole carrier group. Its update is the priority of Commander Duthu: "I best articulate all the sensors in the fleet to ensure a bubble around the aircraft carrier. I even use the eyes of lookouts on the bridge: statistically, their chances of locating a periscope are significant. In this war of attrition and wills, the FREMM imposed a new standard. Today, when we detect a submarine, we keep the initiative for a long time ... ", says the expert.

A report by Mériadec Raffray made in February during the FANAL exercise


The FREMM Languedoc ( NAVAL GROUP)

The multi-mission frigates are the result of a cooperative program led by France and Italy, each country having developed its own frigate design, but by pooling studies and equipment purchases.

Within the Navy, the FREMM will ensure the succession of nine anti-submarine and anti-aircraft frigates type F70, of which there will be more at the end of this year that three copies in service: FASM La Motte-Picquet and Latouche-Tréville operational since 1988/1990 and based in Brest, as well as FAA Jean Bart (1991) in Toulon.

Designed by Naval Group and carried out in Lorient, the FREMM are now five in service in the French fleet. These are Aquitaine, Provence, Languedoc, Auvergne and Brittany, respectively delivered in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Normandy, which will soon begin its sea trials, will be received by the French Navy in the course of the year. year for admission to active service in 2020. Follow Alsace and Lorraine, which must be completed in 2021 and 2022 for an ASA scheduled by 2023.

In the long term, four FREMMs will be based in Brest and four others in Toulon.

142 meters long, 20 meters wide and 6,000 tonnes loaded, these new frigates are designed for all areas of combat, from submarine hunt to anti-ship battles, to air defense, long-range strikes against land targets, intelligence missions and special force projection.


MdCN shot from Aquitaine ( MARINE NATIONALE - L. BERNARDIN)

The first six can implement 16 naval cruise missiles (MdCN), 16 surface-to-air missiles Aster 15 (Brittany and Normandy with longer vertical launchers to be able to ship later Aster 30) and 8 Exocet MM40 Block3 anti-ship missiles. They also have a 76mm turret, two 20mm tele-operated guns and MU90 torpedo tubes. Capable of shipping a Caiman Marine (NH90) type helicopter, and in the future an SDAM (VSR 700) aerial drone, the FREMMs are equipped with powerful sensors, including a Herakles multifunction radar, a hull sonar and a trailer sonar. Captas 4. In addition, there are various means of electronic warfare, including two jammers, as well as anti-missile and anti-torpedo decoy launchers. These buildings are also able to


Vertical launchers for MdCN and Aster ( MER ET MARINE - FRANCIS JACQUOT)


Aster 15 missile firing from a FREMM ( NATIONAL MARINE)


Torpedo shot MU90 ( NATIONAL MARINE)


CO of a FREMM ( MARINE NATIONALE - PERRINE GUIOT)


Marine Caiman Helicopter ( MARINE NATIONALE - ALAIN MONOT)

Called FREMM DA, the last two units in the series, the Alsace and Lorraine, will have enhanced air defense capabilities to replace the FAA Cassard and Jean Bart, while completing the two great frigates air defense Forbin and Chevalier Paul. These FREMM DAs will not ship MdCN, but instead will have 16 additional surface-to-air missiles, a total of 32 Aster 15 and Aster 30. The base of their main mast will be thinner to minimize the masking effect for the Herakles radar, which will be more powerful than on the first six FREMMs. The combat system and the CO of Alsace and Lorraine will also be adapted to the air defense mission.  


FREMM DA ( NAVAL GROUP)

https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/fremm-un-atout-maitre-en-haute-mer

If true then Russians might as well stop wasting money on Navy because if even French can own them like this then it's game over

Imagine trying to take on US Navy when you can't even deal with their French maids?

Ordering your people to operate ships under these conditions would be criminal negligence

PapaDragon wrote:
If true then Russians might as well stop wasting money on Navy because if even French can own them like this then it's game over

Imagine trying to take on US Navy when you can't even deal with their French maids?

Ordering your people to operate ships under these conditions would be criminal negligence

They know very well how their subs fair against nato ships. If they are not speeding up with husky and use money on upgrading older ones means they are still very good.

Isos wrote:

PapaDragon wrote:
If true then Russians might as well stop wasting money on Navy because if even French can own them like this then it's game over

Imagine trying to take on US Navy when you can't even deal with their French maids?

Ordering your people to operate ships under these conditions would be criminal negligence

They know very well how their subs fair against nato ships. If they are not speeding up with husky and use money on upgrading older ones means they are still very good.

Or they know they are outclassed but don't want to do what needs to be done because doing it would mean admitting defeat (as with not scraping Kuznetzov)

So they just waste money, risk lives and pretend everything is still okay hoping that nobody will see through the charade

It would also explain why they drag their feet so much with building new subs, they are just kicking that can down the road until it becomes someone else's problem

First, French Rubis class is older than Akulas. They are also smaller which for a nuclear isn't really good as nuclear plant produce lot of noise and its size doesn't allow as much reduction noise solutions to be used as on russian subs.

Second, french technology is often better than US.

Finally, subs can always be tracked. You have no idea of what russian sonars are capable of. If a FREMM can track it from 20km away but the russian sub tracks her from 40km away the sub has the advantage, specially when armed with 600km cruise missiles... It's like f-35 stealth, if you put all the eggs in one basket don't be surprised if your system sucks. Oscars have 24 oniks that they can fire from 600km away and soon 72 oniks or Zirkon.

Tracking it when it patrols in the middle of the Med off Syria and tracking it when it want to attack a carrier (main job of that sub) are two different things.

French subs are very good but we have only 6 of them. 2 close to the carrier, 2 protecting mainland and 2 used to hunt the oscars which can fire from 600km away. That's a big research zone. Oscars have still the advantage against carriers. The number of freems is not better.

Tactics and improvements over time can compensate for shortcomings... for all we know the Russian sub might have been running with a noisemaker that is activated during peace time to make potential enemy forces relaxed about the threat they pose... something they could turn off when things got serious...

The progress of construction of the French nuclear submarines of the type Barracuda

An interesting and illustrative official infographics of the French shipbuilding association Naval Group, demonstrating the construction progress and the state of readiness of the new nuclear multi-purpose submarines of the Barracuda type being built for the French Navy.

Infographics timed to the launch of the Suffren heading scheduled for July 12, 2019. The construction of the Suffren boat, laid back in 2007 in the arsenal of the Naval Group in Cherbourg, is coming to an end, and the delivery of the boat to the French fleet, after repeated postponements, is now scheduled for 2020. Four more boats (Duguay-Trouin, Tourville, De Grasse, Rubis) are in Cherbourg at various stages of construction, and the sixth Casabianca is planned to be built.



https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3703456.html

Launching the head of the French nuclear submarine Suffren

On July 12, 2019, in the arsenal of the French shipbuilding association Naval Group in Cherbourg, an official launching ceremony (actually withdrawing from the building workshop) of the head French nuclear multi-purpose submarine Suffren of the new type Barracuda (building number Q 284) took place. The ceremony was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron. The boat should be transferred to the French Navy in 2020.









https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3706406.html

The construction of the head French frigate of the FDI type has begun

On October 24, 2019, in the arsenal of the French shipbuilding association Naval Group in Lorian, the first steel cutting ceremony was held for the new generation head French multi-purpose frigate Amiral Ronarc'h of the FDI type (Frégates de Défense et d'Intervention). The transfer of the French Navy ship is scheduled for late 2023.


The first steel-cutting ceremony for the new generation head-mounted French multi-purpose frigate Amiral Ronarc'h of the FDI type (Frégates de Défense et d'Intervention) in the arsenal of the French shipbuilding association Naval Group in Lorient, 10.24.2019 (c) Naval Group


The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Armed Forces of France Florence Parley, the head of the French General Directorate of Arms (DGA) Jules Barré, the chief of staff (commander) of the French Navy, Admiral Christoph Prazouk, and the commander of the Greek Navy, Admiral Nikolaos Zaonis. The ship was named in honor of Admiral Pierre-Alexis Ronarch (1865 - 1940), who during the First World War became very famous commander of the Naval Infantry Brigade, and then commander of the French naval forces on the Atlantic coast, and in 1919-1920 - chief of staff (commander) of the French fleet.

In total, the French Navy plans to commission five FDI-type frigates from 2023 to 2029 to replace five La Fayette -type frigates in the fleet .The four following FDI type frigates, after the head one, are also reportedly to be named after the French admirals of the twentieth century - Amiral Louzeau, Amiral Castex, Amiral Nomy and Amiral Cabanier .

FDI type frigates are smaller ships than the FREMM type frigates currently under construction for the French Navy, and until the end of 2018 they were officially designated as “intermediate size frigates” (Frégates de Taille Intermédiaire - FTI). A feature of FDI type frigate architecture is the "water-cutting" shape of the bow of the ship. The full displacement of the FDI type frigate is 4,500 tons, the longest is 122 m, the width is 18 m. The diesel power plant (four diesel engines with a total capacity of 42,900 hp), the highest speed 27 knots, cruising range 5000 miles by 15 knots, autonomy 45 days . The crew of 125 people with the possibility of accommodating another 28 people.

The armament of FDI-type frigates should include eight MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 3C anti-aircraft missile launchers, 16 Aster 15/30 vertical launchers, one 76-mm and two 20-mm artillery mounts, four 324-mm torpedo tubes, a helicopter based in the hangar NH90 Cayman, as well as UAVs. The electronic armament will include the new Thales Sea Fire 500 multifunctional radar system with AFAR in the integrated mast, the SETIS ASBU, the Kingklip Mk 11 padding GAS and the towed CAPTAS 4 GAS, the Aquilon communication complex, IXblue MARINS and iXblue NetANS navigation systems and SENTINEL electronic warfare.

The export version of FDI frigates is being promoted by the Naval Group as a modular project under the designation BELH @ RRA, and is supposed to be successful in the global market compared to more expensive frigates such as FREMM. On October 10, 2019, Greece signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the acquisition of two frigates of this type.

The appearance of the new generation French multi-purpose frigate of the FDI type (Frégates de Défense et d'Intervention) (c) Naval Group





https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3818493.html

Doesn't promote a lot of confidence when they show a cardboard cut out instead of a 3D model of the ship in that photo...

PapaDragon wrote:
If true then Russians might as well stop wasting money on Navy because if even French can own them like this then it's game over

Imagine trying to take on US Navy when you can't even deal with their French maids?

Ordering your people to operate ships under these conditions would be criminal negligence

What on earth are you talking about? these frog ships are nothing special just your average nato brand cans of sewage.

How might I ask would one of these even scratch the paint of a gorshkov class? Their best bet would be to throw some particularly hard baggetes at the Russian ship because thoes 8 exocets shure as hell won't do anything.

The damned exocet is not even as good as the moskit!

You can slap a fancy label and high price tag on any old excrement but it will sill be excrement.

Oh well I guess in your mind up tp 16 oniks or zirkons is no match for baggetes and the cleaner coat of paint on the froggies ships will protect them against any conceivable hypersonic missiles for atleast the next million years.

New French patrol ships for overseas territories

French President Emmanuel Maron, in a speech on December 3, 2019 in Montpellier, announced that the Directorate of Armaments (Direction générale de l'Armement - DGA) of the French Ministry of Armed Forces issued a contract for the construction of six POM patrol ships for the French fleet (Ratrouilleurs Outre-Mer ) .for use in the overseas territories of France. According to the French media, the French shipbuilding company SOCARENAM received a contract for their construction on its own project. All six ships must be delivered from 2022 to 2025.

The ROM program provides for the construction of six patrol ships, two of which will be permanently based in New Caledonia (base in Noumea), two on Reunion Island (Port Reunion) and one in French Polynesia (Papeete, Tahiti). As part of the French fleet, these ships will replace the four small patrol ships of Project P 400 and the patrol ships P 675 Arago (converted hydrographic vessel) and P 701 Le Malin (converted converted trawler), which are currently used in these island territories.

Ships of the ROM type will have a length of 70 m, a draft of 3.8 m and a full speed of 22 knots. The ships will be equipped with a helipad and UAV aircraft type Airbus / Survey Copter ALIACA ..

As you can tell, SOCARENAM-contracted ROM ships are structurally actually an enlarged version of the three SOCARENAM built in 2017-2019 for the French fleet of 61-meter PAG (Patrouileur Antilles Guyane) type La Confiance ships for basing in French Guiana and the French Antilles.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3866474.html

Deliveries of new French 533 mm F21 torpedoes started

According to the magazine "Jane's Navy International" in Emmanuel Huberdeau's material "First batch of F21 torpedoes delivered to Brazil and France", representatives of the French Naval Group at a press conference in Paris on February 21, 2020 announced the start of deliveries of the first serial new French 533- mm multi-purpose torpedoes F21.


The first six serial new French 533-mm F21 multi-purpose torpedoes manufactured by the Naval Group at the Saint Tropez facility, transferred to the French Navy, November 2019 (c) Naval Group (via Jane's)

According to the report, in November 2019, the Naval Group transferred the first six F21 serial torpedoes from 93 ordered to the French Navy. In addition, an unnamed number of F21 torpedoes in January 2020 was transferred to the Brazilian Navy, which became the first foreign customer of these torpedoes (for submarines of the French Scorpene project under construction).

The F21 torpedo was launched under the Artemis coding by DCNS (now the Naval Group) as part of the Future Torpille Lourde (FTL) program commissioned by the Directorate General of Arms (Direction Générale de l'Armement - DGA) of the French Ministry of Defense in 2008 to replace the 533 mm torpedoes F17 Mod 2, mass-produced since 1988 and now are the main armament of French nuclear submarines. F21 torpedo offshore testing was launched in February 2013. After the first test cycle in 2013-2014, the torpedo was sent for revision, and the landfill tests were resumed in 2017. In May 2018, the first F21 torpedo test shot was fired from a French Rubis nuclear submarine.

The torpedo F21 is electric, with a silver-aluminum (AgO-Al) main battery manufactured by Saft, the electric motor is manufactured by the German company Atlas Elektronik (presumably similar to that used in the German torpedo DM2A4), the mover is two screws of the opposite rotation. Torpedo travel speed over 50 knots, cruising range over 31 miles. Depth of action is up to 500-600 m. The length of the torpedo is about 6 m, weight 1320 kg (according to other sources, 1550-1560 kg). The guidance system developed by Thales Underwater Systems is a combined multi-mode passive-active acoustic with remote control via fiber-optic cable (cable length more than 50 km). The Eurenco Warhead (SNPE) contains 200 kg of Cast-PBX B2211D, a new polymer explosive.

Since 2011, the DGA under several contracts ordered 93 F21 torpedoes for the French Navy, of which the first 45 are to be delivered by 2023. The total cost of the R&D program and the purchase of 93 torpedoes is now estimated at 557 million euros. In 2017, the contract for the undisclosed number of torpedoes F21 was signed by the Brazilian Navy.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3946385.html

It can also track a Russian submarine from the North Atlantic to Gibraltar for 25 days without a break: "Believe me, when a commander realizes he is constantly being followed, the pressure changes sides," smiles on Commander of Provence.

Being able to track a sub for 25 days is not ideal for that sub, but considering that sub is an Oscar II class sub with 72 Onyx anti ship missiles and in the near future could be armed with 72 Zircon hypersonic anti ship missiles I would have to ask how well protected that french ship was, and also whether that Russian sub detected that French vessel and the other ships operating with it.

If that Oscar II sub is ordered to sink the French fleet it could probably do it on its own... whether the french detect it or otherwise...

No disrespect to the French naval technology, I am sure it is probably very good... sounds like it is better than American stuff... but is it enough to make a significant difference?

In a conflict in Syria the presence of a French ship shadowing the Oscar II might lead it to be unable to launch Kalibr land attack cruise missiles against terrorist targets, but in WWIII, which is what it is designed and built for, as it detects French ships it is likely free to engage them and I suspect the French ships will be detecting missile launches beyond the horizon as the first suggestion the Russian sub is there.