Naval Group delivers sixth FREMM multi-mission frigate to France

Naval Group has delivered the sixth FREMM multi-mission frigate, named Normandie, to the French defence procurement agency Direction générale de l’armement (DGA).

The Normandie frigate will be used by the French Navy and was delivered in Brest on 16 July.

Prior to accepting the vessel, the DGA completed the tests to verify the smooth operation of Normandy and see whether it meets performance expectations.

The FREMM project is a joint programme between France and Italy to equip both navies with multirole frigates.

A total of 18 frigates will be built under the programme, with eight of them meant for the French Navy and the remaining ten for Italy.

OCCAR is responsible for the management of the development, production and initial in-service support phases of the FREMM programme.

The DGA is the project owner for France. Designed and developed by Naval Group, the FREMM frigate will bolster the French Navy’s surface fleet.

The frigate is equipped with advanced automation. It will support missions such as the control of a zone of maritime operation, and deep precision strike with the naval cruise missile (MdCN), among others.

With an overall length of 142m and width of 20m, the vessels can reach a maximum speed of 27k.

The first six French ships will be primarily used for anti-submarine warfare, while the remaining two will feature reinforced air defence capabilities.

Naval Group completed the construction of Normandie last month.

The company expects to deliver the next two frigates, the Alsace and the Lorraine, in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

In addition, the firm is set to build the Defence and Intervention Frigate (FDI), which is regarded as the first fully digital warship. Delivery of the FDI frigates is slated for 2023.