On 18 October 2012, DCNS celebrated the launch of FREMM multimission frigate Normandie in the presence of Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister for Defence, and Pierre Moscovici, Minister for the Economy and Finance. This latest success is a further demonstration of DCNS’s industrial vigour and vitality, with six multimission frigates currently under construction.
Patrick Boissier, Chairman & CEO of DCNS , commented: “ The FREMM programme is a vivid testament to DCNS’s industrial performance and our ability to meet the technical and economic expectations of our customers. This performance is all the more remarkable since it is achieved as part of an initiative to bring production work back under our own roof, where competitive, rather than outsource it to shipyards in low-cost countries. In this way, we’re proud to be contributing, with our partners, to the development of local employment in and around our centres.”
More than 500 DCNS personnel and guests watched as the third of the 12 FREMM multimission frigates on DCNS’s orderbook was floated out of the building dock at the Group’s Lorient facility. During the 15- minute operation, FREMM Normandie was manoeuvred by tugs to the quayside, where it will remain for the next few months while DCNS teams and subcontractors continue construction and assembly work.
The next major phase is installation of the mast infrastructure, which will house the vessel’s sensor suites (radars, antennas, cameras, jammers, etc.).
Construction of FREMM Normandie, the third unit of the class, got underway in October 2009. This next- generation multimission frigate will carry a complement of 108, or around half as many as previous- generation vessels with similar capabilities. It will offer highly flexible capabilities for anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine missions.
They are inherently versatile to provide a response to all types of threats. World-leading innovation ensures that they offer unparalleled levels of interoperability and readiness. As demonstrated by the export contract with the Royal Moroccan Navy, they are also designed to meet the needs and expectations of international client navies.
To date, six FREMM frigates are under construction at DCNS’s Lorient shipyard:
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, October 22, 2012; Image: DCNS