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A first in Europe: French Navy FREMM Frigate Aquitaine fires MBDA's Naval Cruise Missile

The

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, has successfully fired its first naval cruise missile on May 19 on the firing ranges of the DGA missile testing centre off Levant Island. This is the first time that a European surface ship has fired a cruise missile. On May 12, the frigate also successfully fired its first Exocet MM40 surface-to-surface missile.

The FREMM frigates are going to be world-class multi--purpose vessels. France and Italy...and the other nations getting them, or who might get them...are going to be well served by them.

Right now we have what?

France (8)
Italy (10)
Morocco (1)
Egypt (2)

Is the Greek deal still on?

Combined Task Force 150’s (CTF-150) flagship, French Ship (FS) Var, in the Indian Ocean with Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Richmond. Commander CTF150 Captain (Capt) Crignola flew to HMS Richmand and met with the Commanding officer, Commander (Cdr) Anderson onboard the British ship. Afterwards, FS Var conducted replenishment at sea with Richmond under a rough sea and rainy weather. During the sensitive manoeuvres, which require a high degree of interoperability between both navies, fuel was efficiently and successfully transferred to HMS Richmond.

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Naval Today said:

The vessels of French Navy’s Battle Group returned home to Toulon naval base.

The first to arrive was the nuclear attack submarine Améthyste (S605), followed by the Navy’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, frigate Chevalier Paul (D621), frigate Jean de Vienne (D643) and multi-product replenishment oiler Meuse (A607) a few days later on May 19.

The Group started its deployment on January 13, 2015, and was engaged in various operations during the four months they spent at sea.

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The carrier, two frigates (one a Horizon destroyer), and nuclear sub, and the AOR.

Here are those other vessesls:

President Hollande announced a spending increase of €3,8B in the 2016-2019 timeframe. Of that, €1,5B will be used for equipment.
There will likely be a C-130 purchase. There will be 7 more Tiger AHs and quicker NH90 acquisition. The last 3 MRTTs will also be accelerated.
The Lafayettes will recieve new sensors. And there's progress on the design of three new intermediate frigates. Lighter verions of the multi-mission FFGs.
Also 25 new Talios LDPs for the Mirage & Rafale and a third optical spy sat in cooperation with Germany.

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PARIS — France has set aside an extra €1.5 billion (US $1.7 billion) to acquire additional equipment, including the C-130 Hercules, and maintain weapon systems over the next four years, reflecting the intense operations of the armed forces in sub-Saharan Africa, defense officials said Wednesday.

The fresh funds are part of the €3.8 billion increase in military spending for 2016-2019 that President François Hollande announced April 29 after a meeting of the high-level defense council.

Helicopters, transport and inflight refueling aircraft, intelligence gathering, cyber defense and maintenance of equipment are the key elements, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in the introduction to the information pack for the parliamentary review of the draft military budget law. ...

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mYou point good Scratch, all here in French

still to vote by parliament.

Then mainly an effort for helos because very used in Africa, Mali... desert conditions are difficult for mechanics, fine sand in more Puma old, NH-90 young but have again some problem, 6 new NH-90 TTH ordered total from 68 to 74.
Tigres 60 to 67, 7 new.

2 C-130H modified armed with small guns/missiles for special operations problem in general on 12 about 6 in service then diffficult have 2 removed to transport missions...
And maybe 4 C-130J ? or H second hand which 2 air to air refueling because A-400M can' t refuel helos... !
New drones MQ-9 no armed, the 3rd recently deliverd yet in operation to Mali.

Seems confirmed only 8 FREMM build 6 in service for 2019 and the 2 last FREMM AAW for 2021, 2022.
And Frégate de taille Intermédiaire program accelerated first in service for 2023, a FREMM less expensive less big/armed, 5 for replace 5 La Fayette.

New light helo program announced more soon as planned for replace Gazelle, Alouette III, Fennec etc...

Thanks for the info.

German NH90 have (had) issues with the Overhead Controll Pannel. And I think with the engine/gearbox as well. Do french NH90 have that as well?
Will be interesting to see how they and the Tiger do in a sandy environment over a longer period of time.

For the Hercules, do the french ones carry those AGM-176 Griffin missiles also?

Scratch said:

...
The Lafayettes will recieve new sensors. ...

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I'm glad somebody brought this up as recently I've read, posted that almost a quarter of century ago

Jura said:

... the La Fayette should've entered service with

• VLS for 16 (not 32) Aster missiles (the space for their fire-control Arabel radar is still available together with an unused (sixth) console in the Combat Information Center)
• sonar and Murene (later developed into MU90) torpedos

but didn't because of ... budget cuts in 1990s (and not of "ships' specialized role" or nothing) ...

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navyreco said on his Facebook Profile on Thursday

it is not clear yet what the Lafayette class frigate modernization program will consist in. French MoD only mentions "the fitting of a sonar among other things". Contacted by Navy Recognition, the French Navy, DCNS or French Procurement Agency could not make any comment. The possiblity of the class fitted with new radar and vertical launch surface to air missiles appear slim however. It is not clear yet if the sonar will be hull mounted or towed, however Thales' CAPTAS 2 variable depth sonar is a strong possibility.

With such an equipment (VDS sonar), Navy Recognition understands that Lafayette class Frigates (which are currently all based in Toulon, in the Mediterranean fleet) could be based in Brest in the future (French Navy Atlantic Fleet) for a new mission: securing the underwater maritime zones when French Navy SSBNs (also based near Brest) deploy on their patrols.

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EDIT
the link is

Scratch said:

Thanks for the info.

German NH90 have (had) issues with the Overhead Controll Pannel. And I think with the engine/gearbox as well. Do french NH90 have that as well?
Will be interesting to see how they and the Tiger do in a sandy environment over a longer period of time.

For the Hercules, do the french ones carry those AGM-176 Griffin missiles also?

Click to expand...

About only 40/50 % operationnal because maintenance to improve and in part back at the factory to be upgraded to last Block/standard.
Sand use turbines.

For C-130H armed right now annouced a kit ( as Harvest Hawk on USMC KC-130J ) with AASM and presumably small guns, 20/30 mm to see...

is that it? the blog
says so ...