DCNS commences sea trials for the FREMM Languedoc

The French Navy’s third FREMM multi-mission frigate, the Languedoc, has been floated out from DCNS’ Lorient shipyard to undergo sea trials off the coast of Brittany. The Languedoc is the third FREMM ordered by OCCARⁱ¹ on behalf of the DGA (French Defence Procurement Agency) and the French Navy.

The main objective of the sea trials was to test the performance of the vessel’s propulsion and navigation system.

The FREMM Languedoc will benefit from a significant reduction in the duration of its sea trials compared to the previous FREMMs: six weeks instead of the previous eight. This optimised trial

DCNS has already delivered two FREMM Multi-Mission Frigates on schedule to the French Navy. By mid-2019, DCNS will have delivered six FREMM’s to the French Navy, in accordance with the Military Programming Law 2015-2019, as well as two FREMMs for the export market (The Royal Moroccan Navy and the Egyptian Navy).

The experience and lessons learned from the FREMMs already delivered enabled DCNS and its partners to proceed with the integration of the combat system’s sensors and weapons prior to the FREMM Languedoc’s first sea outing. This led to a reduction in the total time required for vessel trials – from six week to the previous eight. This optimised trial duration illustrates the transition to “series mode” or multi-mission frigates.

“The acceleration of the trial scheduling for the FREMM Languedoc is a demonstration of DCNS capacity to ensure efficient serial production”, explains Anne Bianchi, Director of the FREMM Programme at DCNS.

Eight FREMMs built on the DCNS Lorient site by 2019

The FREMM program

The FREMM programme will see DCNS build ten frigates, eight of them for the French Navy.

Six of these will be delivered by 2019 and two frigates equipped with strengthened anti-aircraft capacities will be delivered before 2022.

Two further units have been sold and delivered to international clients: the Royal Moroccan Navy and the Egyptian Navy.

• The FREMM Aquitaine, first in series, delivered in 2012.

• The FREMM Mohammed VI, delivered to the Royal Moroccan Navy in 2014.

• The FREMM Provence delivered in June 2015.

• The FREMM Tahya Misr, delivered to the Egyptian Navy in June 2015.

• The FREMM Languedoc, which is conducting its first sea outing.

• The FREMM Auvergne, which was floated on 2 September.

Technical characteristics of the FREMMs

Under the project management of DCNS, the heavily-armed FREMM frigates are equipped with the most effective weapon systems and equipment, such as the Herakles multifunctional radar, the Naval Cruise Missile, the Aster and Exocet MM 40 missiles and the MU 90 torpedoes.

• Length overall: 142 meters

• Width: 20 meters

• Displacement: 6,000 tonnes

• Maximum speed: 27 knots

• Crew: 108 persons (helicopter detachment included)

• Accommodation capacity: 145 persons

• Range: 6,000 nautical miles at 15 knots