List of active French Navy ships
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Ensign_of_France.svg/220px-Ensign_of_France.svg.png)
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 9 submarines of the Forces sous-marines (Submarine force). Primary assets include one nuclear aircraft carrier, three amphibious assault ships, four air-defence-focused destroyers, six anti-submarine (ASW)/land attack mission-oriented destroyers, five general-purpose frigates, and six surveillance frigates. The Navy also operates some 15 patrol ships, supplemented by additional coast guard/Maritime Gendarmerie vessels. The surveillance frigates and a significant number of the patrol vessels are based in France's overseas territories.
The submarine force consists of five nuclear attack submarines and four nuclear ballistic missile submarines.
Integral to supporting the Force d'Action Navale at sea are the French Navy's 2 replenishment oilers, 16 mine countermeasure vessels and 8 support ships. In addition to the above units, the Navy operates five survey vessels, four experimentation ships, four ocean tugboats, 14 training vessels as well as numerous smaller vessels and tugs.
The main base for French naval forces in the Atlantic is located at Brest while the principal base in the Mediterranean is Toulon.[5][6]
Submarine fleet (Forces sous-marines)
Nuclear ballistic missile submarines
Class | Boat | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Triomphant class | Triomphant | S616 | 1997 | 14,335 tonnes | Ballistic missile submarine | Four boats constituting the strategic component of France's nuclear deterrent, the Force de dissuasion. |
Téméraire | S617 | 1999 | ||||
Vigilant | S618 | 2004 | ||||
Terrible | S619 | 2010 |
- Téméraire (Triomphant class)
Nuclear attack submarines
Class | Boat | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Suffren class | Suffren | S635[7] | 2020 | 5,300 tonnes | Nuclear attack submarine | S637 on sea trials as of mid-2024;[8] six planned in total |
Duguay-Trouin | S636 | 2023[9] | ||||
Tourville | S637 | Projected 2024/25 | ||||
Rubis class | Émeraude | S604 | 1988 | 2,660 tonnes | Being incrementally replaced by the Suffren class. | |
Améthyste | S605 | 1992 | ||||
Perle | S606 | 1993 |
- Perle (Rubis class)
- Suffren (Suffren class)
Surface fleet (Bâtiments de combat)
Aircraft carrier
Class | Ship | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | Charles de Gaulle | R91 | 2001 | 42,500 tonnes | Aircraft carrier | Only active nuclear-powered CATOBAR aircraft carrier outside of the United States Navy. |
- Charles de Gaulle
Amphibious warfare
Class | Ship | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mistral class | Mistral | L9013 | 2006 | 21,500 tonnes | Amphibious assault ship | |
Tonnerre | L9014 | |||||
Dixmude | L9015 | 2012 |
- Dixmude (Mistral class)
Major surface combatants
The French Navy does not use the term "destroyer". While officially classed as "frigates", the larger major surface combatants of the first rank are nevertheless registered as destroyers (with hull numbers "Dxxx"; though, as of 2023, French Navy vessels are incrementally having hull numbers removed from display on all ships).[10][11]
Class | Ship | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Horizon class | Forbin | D620 | 2008 | 7,050 tonnes | Air-defence destroyer | |
Chevalier Paul | D621 | 2009 | ||||
Aquitaine class | Aquitaine | D650 | 2012 | 6,040 tonnes | Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) destroyer | |
Normandie | D651 | 2020 | ||||
Provence | D652 | 2015 | ||||
Languedoc | D653 | 2017 | ||||
Auvergne | D654 | 2018 | ||||
Bretagne | D655 | 2019 | ||||
Alsace | D656 | 2021 | Air defence/ASW destroyer | |||
Lorraine | D657 | 2023 | ||||
Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention | Amiral Ronarc'h | D660 | Projected 2024/25[12][13][14] | 4,500 tonnes | D660 fitting out as of mid-2023; five ships planned by 2032 | |
La Fayette class | La Fayette | F710 | 1996 | 3,900 tonnes | General-purpose frigate | |
Surcouf | F711 | 1997 | ||||
Courbet | F712 | |||||
Aconit | F713 | 1999 | ||||
Guépratte | F714 | 2001 | ||||
Floréal class | Floréal | F730 | 1992 | 2,950 tonnes | Surveillance frigate | Class has anti-ship missiles removed and functions in a second-rank "surveillance frigate" role for French overseas territories. |
Prairial | F731 | 1992 | ||||
Nivôse | F732 | |||||
Ventôse | F733 | 1993 | ||||
Vendémiaire | F734 | |||||
Germinal | F735 | 1994 |
- Forbin (Horizon class)
- Auvergne (Aquitaine class)
- Illustration: Defence and intervention frigate (FDI) class
- Surcouf (La Fayette class)
- Germinal (Floréal class)
Patrol
Class | Ship | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | L'Astrolabe | P800 | 2017 | 4,000 tonnes | Icebreaker/support vessel/offshore patrol | Based in Réunion; co-operated by the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) Administration and the French Navy. |
D'Entrecasteaux class | D'Entrecasteaux | A621 | 2016 | 2,300 tonnes | Offshore patrol/support vessel | Based in Noumea |
Bougainville | A622 | Based in Papeete | ||||
Champlain | A623 | 2017 | Based in Réunion | |||
Dumont d'Urville | A624 | 2020 | Based in Fort-de-France[15] | |||
D'Estienne d'Orves class | Commandant Blaison | F793 | 1982 | 1,250 tonnes | Offshore patrol vessel | Originally entered service as avisos (sloops / light corvettes), reclassified as OPVs in 2012.[16] To be replaced from 2026 as part of the acquisition of a new class of patrol vessels (“Patrouilleurs Hauturiers” - PH).[17][18] |
Enseigne de Vaisseau Jacoubet | F794 | |||||
Commandant Ducuing | F795 | 1983 | ||||
Commandant Birot | F796 | 1984 | ||||
Commandant Bouan | F797 | |||||
Confiance class | La Confiance | P733 | 2017 | 700 tonnes | Based in Guiana | |
La Résolue | P734 | |||||
La Combattante | P735 | 2020 | Based in Fort-de-France | |||
Félix Éboué class | Auguste Bénébig | P779 | 2023[19][20] | 1,300 tonnes | Based in Noumea[21] | |
Teriieroo a Teriierooiterai | P780 | 2024[22][23] | Based in Papeete; 4 additional vessels to enter service in 2025 and 2026 |
- L'Astrolabe
- D'Entrecasteaux (D'Entrecasteaux class)
- Commandant Bouan (D'Estienne d'Orves class)
- La Résolue (La Confiance class)
- Illustration: Patrouilleur Outre-mer - POM (Félix Éboué class)
Coastguard
Class | Boat | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | Le Malin | P701 | 1997 | 1,300 tonnes | Coastal patrol vessel | An ex-trawler based in La Reunion. To be replaced by a Patrouilleur Outre-mer (POM)-class patrol vessel[24][25][26] |
Lapérouse class | Arago | P675 | 1988 | 980 tonnes | An ex-hydrographic survey vessel. Extension of role in French Polynesia until end 2024 pending arrival of POM-class OPVs.[27][28] | |
— | Fulmar | P740 | 1991 | 550 tonnes | An ex-trawler based in Saint Pierre | |
Flamant class | Flamant | P676 | 1997 | 390 tonnes | Patrol boat | To be replaced from 2026 as part of the acquisition of new class of "PH" patrol vessels. |
Cormoran | P677 | |||||
Pluvier | P678 |
- Le Malin
- Arago (Lapérouse class)
- Fulmar
- Flamant (Flamant class)
Mine countermeasures
Class | Boat | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Éridan class | Andromède | M643 | 1984 | 615 tonnes | Minehunter | Being replaced by Système de lutte anti-mines futur (SLAM-F) starting in 2023[29] |
Pégase | M644 | 1985 | ||||
Orion | M645 | 1986 | ||||
Croix du Sud | M646 | |||||
Aigle | M647 | 1987 | ||||
Lyre | M648 | |||||
Céphée | M652 | |||||
Capricorne | M653 | |||||
Sagittaire | M650 | 1996 | ||||
Vulcain class | Vulcain | M611 | 1986 | 490 tonnes | Clearance diving | To be replaced by SLAM-F |
Pluton | M622 | 1986 | ||||
Styx | M614 | 1987 | ||||
Achéron | A613 | |||||
Antarès class | Antarès | M770 | 1993 | 340 tonnes | Sonar towing vessel | To be replaced by SLAM-F |
Altaïr | M771 | |||||
Aldébaran | M772 | 1994 | ||||
Ophrys class | Ophrys | Y6040 | 2022 | 105 tonnes | Diving support vessel (VSP) | Part of SLAM-F program, total of eight units planned up to 2026.[30][31][32] |
- Former Cassiopée (Éridan class)
- Achéron (Vulcain class)
- Antarès (Antarès class)
Auxiliary fleet
Replenishment
Class | Ship | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jacques Chevallier class | Jacques Chevallier | A725 | Projected 2024[33][34] | 31,000 tonnes | Replenishment oiler | Delivered to the Navy in July 2023; continuing post-acceptance sea trials;[35] two additional ships planned to enter service by 2027; fourth projected after 2030[36][37][38] |
Durance class | Somme | A631 | 1990 | 17,900 tonnes | To be replaced in 2027 by third vessel of the Jacques Chevallier class |
- Somme (Durance class)
- Illustration of the Jacques Chevallier class
Intelligence, research and experimentation
Class | Boat | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | Monge | A601 | 1992 | 21,040 tonnes | Tracking ship | |
— | Dupuy de Lôme | A759 | 2006 | 3,600 tonnes | SIGINT | |
— | Alizé | A645 | 2005 | 1,600 tonnes | DGSE diving support | Also used to test new equipment and diving procedures |
Lapérouse class | Thétis | A785 | 1988 | 1,050 tonnes | Mine-warfare experimentation | To be replaced by SLAM-F |
- Monge
- Dupuy de Lôme
- Thétis (Lapérouse class)
Survey
Class | Boat | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | Pourquoi Pas? | — | 2005 | 6,600 tonnes | Oceanographic survey | Operated by IFREMER (55%) and the French Navy (45%) with civilian crew.[39] |
— | Beautemps-Beaupré | A758 | 2003 | 3,600 tonnes | ||
Lapérouse class | Lapérouse | A791 | 1988 | 980 tonnes | Hydrographic survey | To be replaced from 2025 to 2027 by 2 new hydro-oceanographic vessels. |
Borda | A792 | |||||
Laplace | A793 | 1989 |
- Pourquoi pas?
- Beautemps-Beaupré
- Laplace (Lapérouse class)
Ocean tugboats
Class | Boat | No. | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UT515 | Abeille Bourbon | - | 2005 | 4,600 tonnes | Oceangoing tug | Operated under charter |
Abeille Liberté | - | |||||
VS-491 CD | Abeille Normandie | - | 2010 | 3,978 tonnes | ||
Abeille Méditerrannée | - |
- Abeille Liberté
- Abeille Normandie
Port and coastal tugboats
Class | Ship | No. | Commissioned | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RPC12 class | Fréhel | A675 | 1989 | 220 tonnes | Harbour tugboat | |
Saire | A676 | |||||
Armen | A677 | 1991 | ||||
La Houssaye | A678 | 1992 | ||||
Kéréon | A679 | |||||
Sicié | A680 | 1994 | ||||
Taunoa | A681 | 1996 | ||||
Lardier | Y638 | 1995 | ||||
Giens | Y639 | 1994 | ||||
Mengam | Y640 | |||||
Balaguier | Y641 | 1995 | ||||
Taillat | Y642 | |||||
Nividic | Y643 | 1996 | ||||
Port Cros | Y649 | 1997 | ||||
Le Four | Y647 | 1998 | ||||
Eckmühl | Y646 | — | ||||
Rascas | A682 | 2003 | ||||
RP30/RPC30 class | Céladon | Y6051 | 2023 | 275 tonnes | Harbour tugboat | Originally to have been 20 vessels; program stopped at four units due to cost[40][41][42][43] |
Zinzolin | A6652 | |||||
Turquin | TBD | |||||
Azur | Y6053 | |||||
Maito class | Maito | A636 | 1984 | 228 tonnes | Harbour tugboat | Maito based in Fort de France; Maroa and Manini in Pape'ete[44][45] |
Maroa | A637 | 1985 | ||||
Manini | A638 | 1984 |
- Le Four (RPC 12 class)
Support
Class | Boat | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | Argonaute | — | — | ~4,000 tonnes | Support and pollution control | Operated under charter |
Jason | — | |||||
Pionnier | — | |||||
Sapeur | — | |||||
Loire class | Loire | A602 | 2018 | 2,960 tonnes | Offshore support and assistance | Serve similar roles in metropolitan France as the D'Entrecasteaux class does overseas |
Rhône | A603 | 2019 | ||||
Seine | A604 | |||||
Garonne | A605 | 2020 |
- Jason
- Loire (Loire class)
Training
Class | Boat | No. | Comm | Displacement | Type | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UT712 class | Rebel | — | — | 2,900 tonnes | Training ship | Operated under charter |
UT745 class | Partisan | — | — | 2,340 tonnes | ||
Léopard class | Léopard | A748 | 1982 | 470 tonnes | ||
Panthère | A749 | |||||
Jaguar | A750 | |||||
Lynx | A751 | |||||
Guépard | A752 | 1983 | ||||
Chacal | A753 | |||||
Tigre | A754 | |||||
Lion | A755 | |||||
Glycine class | Glycine | A770 | 1992 | 295 tonnes | Navigation training | |
Églantine | A771 | |||||
Paimpolaise class | Étoile | A649 | 1932 | 275 tonnes | Sail training | Schooner |
Belle Poule | A650 |
- Partisan
- Rebel
- Guépard (Léopard class)
- Glycine (Glycine class)
- Belle Poule (Paimpolaise class)
For a complete list of Bâtiments de soutien (Auxiliaries) see Bâtiments de soutien at the official Marine Nationale website.
Silhouettes
Silhouettes of major fleet units:
![]() Charles de Gaulle |
![]() Mistral | ![]() Tonnerre | ![]() Dixmude |
![]() Forbin | ![]() Chevalier Paul |
![]() Aquitaine | ![]() Normandie | ![]() Provence | ![]() Languedoc |
![]() Auvergne | ![]() Bretagne | ![]() Alsace | ![]() Lorraine |
![]() La Fayette | ![]() Surcouf | ![]() Courbet | ![]() Aconit | ![]() Guépratte |
![]() Triomphant | ![]() Téméraire | ![]() Vigilant | ![]() Terrible |
![]() Suffren | ![]() Duguay-Trouin | ![]() Émeraude | ![]() Améthyste | ![]() Perle |
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.
- ^ "Force d'action navale".
- ^ "Toulon Naval Base". Naval Technology. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Arsenal de Brest". Naval Technology. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (27 November 2021). "Naval Group Rolls Out 2nd Barracuda Type Submarine". Naval News. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (12 July 2024). "Le SNA Tourville débute ses essais en mer". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "French Navy Receives 2nd Barracuda Type Submarine". navalnews.com. 12 August 2023.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (17 March 2023). "Marine nationale : l'anonymisation n'ira pas jusqu'aux bâchis". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (6 March 2023). "Deux frégates du type FREMM anonymisées l'une à côté de l'autre, trouvez les différences !". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ Tanguy, Jean-Marc (11 July 2024). "La frégate La Fayette fera une première mission en Atlantique cet été". le Marin (in French). Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (17 December 2021). "En présence des Grecs, la France met sur cale sa première FDI". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (20 April 2020). "French Navy Final D'Entrecasteaux-Class BSAOM Vessel 'Dumont D'Urville' Enters Active Service". Naval News. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ Between 2011 and 2017 heavy armaments have been removed.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (13 March 2023). "La Marine nationale n'obtiendrait que 7 nouveaux patrouilleurs hauturiers au lieu des 10 prévus". Mer et Marine.
- ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (25 June 2020). "French Navy Ageing PHMs And PSPs Patrol Vessels To Be Replaced With 10 New OPVs". Naval News. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ Lagneau, Laurent (26 July 2023). "Premier patrouilleur outre-Mer, l'Auguste Bénébig a été admis au service actif par la Marine nationale". zone militaire (in French). Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ "Départ de l'Auguste Bénébig, premier des six POM, pour Nouméa; Ministère des Armées". 18 January 2023.
- ^ "EN IMAGES. L'arrivée du patrouilleur "Auguste-Bénébig" à Nouméa". nouvellecaledonie (in French). 3 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (19 July 2024). "La Marine nationale met en service son deuxième patrouilleur d'outre-mer". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ^ "Le nouveau patrouilleur destiné à la Polynésie française se prépare à rejoindre Papeete". Mer et Marine (in French). 11 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (21 May 2021). "La livraison du premier patrouilleur d'outre-mer repoussée à 2023". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Patrouilleurs de la Marine nationale - Sénat". www.senat.fr. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (23 July 2024). "Le patrouilleur polynésien Arago va rentrer en métropole au plus tôt en fin d'année". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "Extension of patrol vessel Arago's operations in French Polynesia until 2024". Archived from the original on 2020-10-21.
- ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (6 November 2020). "France Launches SLAMF Mine Warfare Program but Many Questions Remain". Naval News.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (20 March 2023). "Plongeurs-démineurs : Merré lance la construction en série des VSP". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (6 September 2022). "La nouvelle vedette de support à la plongée en route pour la base navale de Toulon". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 2 December 2022.
- ^ "Le Fauteuil de Colbert: Marine nationale : Chantier de la VSP n°1 « Ophrys » (2021 - 2022)". May 2022.
- ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (19 July 2023). "Naval Group Delivers First BRF Supply Ship To French Navy". Naval News. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "ANTARES - Dernier ravitaillement à la mer entre le BCR Marne et le porte-avions Charles de Gaulle". Ministère des Armées (in French). 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Chantiers de l'Atlantique delivers first new logistic support ship to French Navy". Janes. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (13 April 2023). "Dernière navigation pour le BCR Marne, qui passe le flambeau au BRF Jacques Chevallier". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ "Marine nationale : Le BRF Jacques Chevallier sera livré en 2023". 14 April 2021.
- ^ "Construction Begins for French Navy's Next Gen Replenishment Tanker Chevallier-class 'BRF'". 18 May 2020.
- ^ Forces de surface - Les bâtiments hydrographiques et océanographiques Archived 2013-08-03 at the Wayback Machine, defense.gouv.fr, Retrieved 28 June 2014
- ^ "Piriou : à cause des hausses de coûts, la série des 20 remorqueurs de la marine s'arrête au 4ème". Mer er Marine (in French). 26 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ^ Cogné, Gaël (26 May 2023). "Zinzolin : à la découverte de la nouvelle génération de remorqueurs de la Marine nationale". Mer er Marine (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ^ "Piriou Wins Contract To Deliver 20 Harbor Tugs To The French Navy". Naval Technology. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
- ^ "DGA : Réception du Céladon, premier remorqueur portuaire 30 tonnes". asafrance.fr (in French). 9 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
- ^ "Livret de la flotte" (PDF). ecole.nav (in French). 2021. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
- ^ "Remorqueur côtier Maito". netmarine (in French). 2012. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
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
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