French frigate Auvergne
Auvergne (D654) is an Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy. The Aquitaine class were developed from the FREMM multipurpose frigate program.[2]
![]() Auvergne in the Persian Gulf on 19 September 2017 | |
History | |
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Name: | Auvergne |
Namesake: | Auvergne |
Builder: | DCNS, Lorient |
Laid down: | August 2012 |
Launched: | 2 September 2015 |
Completed: | 11 April 2017 |
Commissioned: | 14 February 2018 |
Homeport: | Toulon |
Identification: |
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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: |
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Armament: |
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Aircraft carried: | 1 × NH90 helicopter |
Aviation facilities: | Single hangar |
Development and design
Original plans were for 17 FREMM to replace the nine D'Estienne d'Orves-class avisos and nine anti-submarine 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) at a cost of €8.75 billion (FY13, ~US$12 billion).[4] The 11 ships would cost €670 million (~US$760m) each in FY2014, or €860m (~US$980m) including development costs.[4]
Construction and career
Auvergne 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 2012. On 2 September 2015, the frigate Auvergne was launched.
Gallery
- Auvergne at Fremantle on 18 November 2017.
- USS Nimitz and the frigates Jean Bart and Auvergne on 19 September 2017.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to D654 Auvergne (ship, 2015). |
- https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/11/photos-naval-group-launches-lorraine-its-final-fremm-frigate/
- "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.
- "Projet de loi de finances pour 2015 : Défense : équipement des forces" (in French). Senate of France. 20 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 2015-02-22.