The first French FREMM multimission frigate, the Aquitaine, has successfully completed first sea trials off the Brittany peninsula in north-west France.
The sea trials demonstrated the frigate’s manoeuvrability and validated the performance of its propulsion system and navigation systems.
FREMM programme manager Vincent Martinot-Lagarde said over 100 tests were conducted successfully and the frigate’s hybrid propulsion system performed exactly as expected.
The second sea trials will be conducted in June this year, wherein the ship’s combat system will be tested.
DCNS is currently constructing 12 such ships, of which 11 FREMMs are for the French Navy while the other is for the Moroccan Navy.
The FREMM family of frigates is being designed to counter threats from air, sea and land and is equipped with a sensor suite based on Herakles multifunction radar, naval cruise missiles and MU90 torpedoes.
