France is building the first ship without a single paper drawing. Yesterday, December 17, the press service of the Naval Group company held a ceremony of laying the keel of the first ship of the FDI project.
The ships of the FDI (defense and intervention frigate) project are called the first digital ones. When developing them, only electronic drawings are used (100% digital concept - zero paper plans).
The first combined sections of the frigate Amiral Ronarc'h
Image source: naval-group.com
The first frigate of the FDI project was named Amiral Ronarc'h and should be handed over to the fleet in 2024. In total, it is planned to build five frigates of the same type by 2030, which will replace La Fayette-type ships in service.
The ships of the FDI project will have a displacement of 4,500 tons, and the length of the hull will be 122 m. The crew will consist of 125 sailors with the ability to accommodate 28 more paratroopers with speedboats on board. Exocet MM40 B3C anti-ship missiles, Aster 15/30 anti-aircraft missiles, MU90 anti-submarine torpedoes and artillery are declared from the armament. In addition, the hangar can accommodate a medium-class helicopter or a combination of a light helicopter and a drone.