DCNS delivers the second Mistral-class helicopter carrier to the Egyptian Navy, the LHD Anwar El Sadat

On 16 September 2016, DCNS delivered the second of two helicopter carriers acquired by the Arab Republic of Egypt in October 2015, the LHD (Landing Helicopter Dock) Anwar El Sadat. The flag transfer ceremony took place in the presence of the two Chiefs of Staff of the Egyptian and French navies, Admiral Rabie and Admiral Prazuck, the chairman and CEO of DCNS, Hervé Guillou, and the president of STX France, Laurent Castaing, together with senior French and Egyptian officials. By 2020, DCNS will have supplied seven combat vessels to Egypt, thus contributing to the modernisation of the Arab Republic of Egypt’s defence system.

Hervé Guillou, Chairman and CEO of DCNS announces that: “The delivery of the Landing Helicopter Dock vessel (LHD) Anwar El Sadat is a demonstration of trust that we have established with the Arab Republic of Egypt to support the expansion of its navy. We are very proud to see, being brought under the Egyptian flag, a ship which is the result of the French industrial excellence. The Egyptian Navy can count on the total commitment of DCNS and its partners, among which STX France, and. I would also like to thank the French government and its unwavering support throughout the project”.

On 10 October 2015, DCNS signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence of the Arab Republic of Egypt for the supply of two Mistral-class Landing Helicopter Dock vessels (LHDs). The delivery of the first of these two helicopter carriers, the LHD Gamal Abdel Nasser took place on 2 June 2016. The flag transfer for the two helicopter carriers forms an integral part of the continuity of the strategic partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Defence formalised already in July 2014 through the signature of a contract for the sale of four Gowind corvettes, then in August 2015 through the delivery to the Egyptian Navy of the FREMM multi-mission frigate Tahya Misr. DCNS is also committed at the side of the Egyptian Navy over the long term, in particular thanks to the multiannual maintenance contracts for Egyptian vessels, as well as through the deployment of a technology-transfer agreement allowing the Alexandria shipyards to build three of the four Gowind corvettes acquired in 2014.

The LHD Anwar El Sadat will leave Saint-Nazaire in the next few days to sail to its home port of Alexandria. On this occasion, the Egyptian and French navies will participate in a joint exercise. Since June, 180 Egyptian sailors have been receiving training in Saint-Nazaire on this LHD. In line with the Egyptian Navy’s image of excellence, they completed a remarkable task in just a few months of work, with the support of the DCNS instructors and our partners STX France and Défense Conseil International. In all, close to 400 Egyptian sailors will have received training in this way.

The LHD: a versatile vessel that is able to conduct a wide range of civil and military missions

The Mistral-class LHD is a vessel that responds to the needs of numerous navies thanks to its versatility. It allows a wide spectrum of civil and military missions. With a length of 199 metres, a displacement of 22,000 tonnes and a speed exceeding 18 knots, the Mistral-class LHD vessel is characterised by its high capacity for the transportation of troops, equipment, heavy helicopters and landing craft, which it is capable of projecting around the world. It is equipped with an electric propulsion system that uses pods. It also has an onboard hospital, and can carry out large-scale humanitarian missions. Its highly capable communication system makes it the ideal command vessel within a naval force.

The fruit of a close collaboration between DCNS and STX, the three first LHDs, Mistral, Tonnerre and Dixmude were delivered to the French Navy in 2006, 2007 and 2012.

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