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French Navy 3rd FREMM Frigate Languedoc & 3rd B2M Multi-Mission Vessel now on Active Duty

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Naval Forces News - France
 
 
 
French Navy 3rd FREMM Frigate Languedoc & 3rd B2M Multi-Mission Vessel now on Active Duty
 
The French Navy (Marine Nationale) announced that the Aquitaine-class Frigate Languedoc, the third FREMM (Multi Mission Frigate) of the class, and the D'Entrecasteaux-class B2M (for bâtiment multi-missions or multi-mission vessel) Champlain, are now both on "Active Duty" and able to conduct operational missions following a ceremony held July 4th in presence of the Chief of Staff of the French Navy Admiral Prazuck.
     
FREMM Languedoc long cruise Arctic French Navy 1 FREMM Languedoc sailing in the Arctic
     
Languedoc joins FREMM frigates Aquitaine and Provence following a long cruise conducted at the end of 2017. For 104 days, the Languedoc Frigate sailed to the United States, Canada, Iceland, Norway and Scotland. The crew even sailed past the Arctic Circle, reaching 80 ° North.

During her mission, Languedoc and her crew were able to check the military capabilities of the ship in demanding seas and environments. The crew also trained with allied navies off the coast of Canada, participated in theater operations off Norway and supported exports of the French defense industry in Montreal, Reykjavik and Oslo.

The long cruise is a decisive step in the verification of military capabilities of the vessel, before admission to active duty. This is a period at sea carried far away, for a long period and with the entire crew to test the ship and its systems and allows the sailors to be fully operational.
     
Our coverage of the delivery of FREMM Languedoc
     
Languedoc was delivered by DCNS on 16 March 2016.

The FREMM programme represents today the construction of ten vessels, of which eight for the French Navy. Six FREMMs will have been delivered to the French Navy before mid-2019, in accordance with the 2015-2019 military programming law. Last but not least, DCNS (now Naval Group) is finalising the design of two FREMMs with strengthened anti-aircraft capacities, the delivery of which is slated for 2022.

According to the French Navy, FREMM Frigates missions include:
- The control of a zone of air-sea operations;
- ASuW, ASW and AAW;
- Deep strike with the naval cruise missile;
- The support of power projection operations (amphibious, special forces...)

The FREMMs are the first vessels in Europe to deploy the naval cruise missile (MdCN) for which the first firing took place on 19 May 2015 from the FREMM Aquitaine.
     
Champlain leaving Brest to join its homeport in the Indian Ocean. Picture: French Navy
     
B2M Champlain set sail for its homeport in Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean in May 2017. This new class of vessel intended for the overseas missions of sovereignty. First ship of the class D'Entrecasteaux was commissioned in April 2016 and joined its home port of Noumea in New Caledonia. The second B2M Bougainville was delivered to the French Navy in September last year and recently joined its naval base in Tahiti in the Pacific (home base of the French Navy Pacific Fleet "ALPACI").

The third vessel of the class Champlain was delivered to the French Navy in December 2016. Reunion is the former base of the French Navy Indian Ocean Fleet "ALINDIEN" which has since been moved to Abu Dhabi; A relatively large French Navy presence remains on Reunion Island however.
     
DCNS Infographics
     
About B2M
Built by Kership, co-owned by Piriou shipyard and DCNS, these vessels are designed to ensure the overseas missions of sovereignty: presence, monitoring and protection of French interests in exclusive economic zones, projection forces, logistical support and backup and support for the populations. They are replacing the ageing BATRAL-class landing ships and P400 patrol vessels.

The class has a top speed of 12 to 15 knots. They have a long endurance of approximately 30 days of operation without replenishment. They carry a work boat of about 8 metres long and semi-rigid boats, and will have a crane for loading and unloading containers. They will also be capable of deploying divers and carrying weapons and munitions.

According to the French Procurement Agency (DGA), these vessels:
- have the ability to project 20 personnel (joint, police or gendarmerie) with two 4x4 vehicles along with their weapons and ammunition.
- will ensure the evacuation of citizens and have the ability to deploy and support divers and equipment (including drones) to conduct underwater interventions.
- Under the state action at sea, they will provide fisheries police missions, and contribute to the fight against illegal immigration, drug trafficking and piracy.
- They will assist ships in distress and participate in safeguarding people and property, through their firefighting means and towing capacity of up to 30 tons