TSAMTO, May 21. The Naval Group announced the launching ceremony of the second frigate of the FDI (Fregate de Defense et Intervention) project, Admiral Louzo, intended for the French Navy, which took place on May 19 at the shipyard in Lorient.
After launching, the ship will be moored to continue equipping with equipment, including the last major structural component, the 42 m high integrated PSIM mast weighing about 150 tons. Sea trials of the Admiral Luzo will begin next year. The transfer of the frigate to the French Navy is scheduled for the end of 2027.
As CAMTO reported, in April 2017, the Directorate General for Armaments of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces (DGA) signed a contract with DCNS (currently Naval Group) for the design and construction of the first of five medium frigates FTI (Fregate de Taille Intermediaire, now designated Fregate de Defense et Intervention) for the French Navy.. The FDI frigate will occupy an intermediate position between the 2,500-ton Govind-class corvette and the 6,000-ton FREMM-class frigate.
The steel cutting ceremony for the construction of the lead frigate took place at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient on October 24, 2019, and the launch took place on November 7, 2022. The Naval Group handed over the ship to the French Navy in October 2025. The frigate is scheduled to be commissioned into the fleet in 2026.
In March 2021, DGA notified Naval Group and Thales about placing an order for two more ships of the series. The contract for the construction of the fourth frigate was signed in December 2025, and on March 31, 2026, DGA signed a contract with Naval Group for the supply of the fifth frigate in the series.
Steel cutting for the second frigate, l'Amiral Louzeau, began in July 2023, and keel laying took place in September 2024. However, it was handed over to the Greek Navy. Two more ships of the FDI class for the Greek navy are currently under construction.
The second "French" frigate FDI Admiral Luzo is currently being built in Lorient on the basis of the fifth corps. According to the plans, the delivery of all five ships of the French Navy will be completed by 2032.
The FDI frigate will be a multi-purpose warship designed to solve a wide range of tasks in peacetime and wartime. It can be used independently or as part of a naval unit for air defense, anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, cyber defense, and support for MTR operations.
The frigate will be 122.25 m long, have a maximum width of 18 m, and a displacement of 4,500 tons. The ship will be equipped with a CODAD–type GEU, which allows it to reach a maximum speed of 27 knots, and a range of 5,000 nautical miles at a speed of 13 knots. The autonomy will be 45 days, the crew will be 125 people + 28 passengers.
The frigates' armament kit will include MM40 Block anti-ship missiles.3C Exocet, Aster-15/30 anti-aircraft guided missiles, MU90 anti-submarine torpedoes, 76 mm and 20 mm artillery systems. The integrated mast will be equipped with various detection tools that provide continuous 360-degree surveillance, including the Seafire radar from Thales.
The ships will be able to simultaneously use helicopters of the 10 ton class and unmanned aerial vehicles of the 700 kg class. An MTR detachment with two boats can be accommodated on board.
