Normandie (D651) is an Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy. The Aquitaine class were developed from the FREMM multipurpose frigate program.[2]
 HDMS Absalon (fore) and Normandie (rear) on 22 May 2021
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Normandie |
| Namesake | Normandie |
| Builder | DCNS, Lorient |
| Laid down | 2014 |
| Launched | 1 February 2018 |
| Completed | 16 July 2019 |
| Commissioned | 3 June 2020 |
| Homeport | Brest |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Aquitaine-class frigate |
| Displacement | 6,000 tons |
| Length | 466 ft (142.0 m) |
| Beam | 65 ft (19.8 m) |
| Draught | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph); max cruise speed 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph) |
| Range | 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 145 |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 1 × NH90 helicopter |
| Aviation facilities | Single hangar |
Development and design
editOriginal plans were for 17 FREMM hulls to replace the nine D'Estienne d'Orves-class avisos and nine anti-submarine (ASW) frigates of the Tourville and Georges Leygues classes. In November 2005 France announced a contract of €3.5 billion for development and the first eight hulls, with options for nine more costing €2.95 billion split over two tranches (totaling 17).
Following the cancellation of the third and fourth of the Horizon-class frigates in 2005 on budget grounds, requirements for an air-defence derivative of the FREMM called FREDA were placed – with DCNS coming up with several proposals.[3] Expectations were that the last two ships of the 17 FREMM planned would be built to FREDA specifications; however, by 2008 the plan was revised down to just 11 FREMM (9 ASW variants and 2 FREDA variants) The 11 ships would cost €670 million (~US$760m) each in FY2014, or €860m (~US$980m) including development costs. In 2015, the total number of ASW variants was further reduced to just six units, including Normandie.
Construction and career
editNormandie was developed as part of a joint Italian-French program known as FREMM, which was implemented to develop a new class of frigates for use by various European navies. Constructed from 2014. On 1 February 2018, the frigate Normandie was launched. Originally, the name Normandie was to be allocated to an earlier ship of the class that had been launched in 2012. However, she was sold to Egyptian Navy in 2015 and renamed Tahya Misr.
Armed with a partial crew of 75 sailors, the ship carried out its first sea trials in March 2019 under the responsibility of the Directorate General for Armament. Unlike previous ASW variants of the FREMM class, Normandie and its sister ship Bretagne are fitted with SYLVER A50 launch cells (instead of SYLVER A43) able to accommodate larger Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles. This provides both ships with a potentially enhanced area air defence capability, though both vessels still lacked both the boosted variant of the Herakles multi-function radar (which was necessary to accommodate the full range of Aster 30) as well as a complementary fire control radar.[4]
Normandie conducted her first ever sea trial off the coast of Lorient on 15 March 2019.[5]
On 6 February 2021, Normandie successfully fired her Aster 30 missile.[6]
Normandie was part of Clemenceau 22 led by the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.[7]
References
edit- ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (17 October 2022). "First Exocet MM40 Block 3c Missiles Set For December Delivery". Naval News. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ "Aquitaine class FREMM Frigate French Navy Marine Nationale". www.seaforces.org. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- ^ "FREMM : Supprimer des frégates, un non sens économique et stratégique?". Mer et Marine (in French). 19 September 2007. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ "French Navy Fitting Aster 30 Long Range SAM on its Last Two ASW FREMM Frigates". navyrecognition.com. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "France's Normandie frigate in first sea trials". www.shephardmedia.com. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- ^ "French Navy Normandie Aquitaine-class frigate successfully test-fired Aster 30 surface-to-air missile".
- ^ Manaranche, Martin (1 February 2022). "French Carrier Strike Group Begins 'Clemenceau 22' Deployment". Naval News. Retrieved 16 September 2022.