It is reported that on October 7, 2024, the head French multi-purpose frigate of the new generation D 660 Amiral Ronarc'h type FDI (Frégates de Défense et d'Intervention) was put to sea from Lorian for the first time for factory sea trials. The ship was built by the French shipbuilding association Naval Group and is due to be handed over to the French Navy in 2025.
The head frigate of the new generation D 660 Amiral Ronarc'h type FDI (Frégates de Défense et d'Intervention) built for the French Navy in the arsenal of the French shipbuilding association Naval Group in Lorian is entering factory sea trials for the first time, 07.10.2024 (c) Pradignac & Leo / www.meretmarine.com
The General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces issued contracts to the Naval Group in 2017 and 2019 for the construction of five FDI-type frigates for the French Navy to replace five La Fayette-type frigates in the fleet, with a planned commissioning period from 2024 to 2029. The construction of new frigates is underway at the Naval Group arsenal in Lorian. The steel cutting ceremony for the lead frigate of the new type D 660 Amiral Ronarc'h took place there on October 24, 2019, the official laying ceremony of the ship was held on December 16, 2021, and the launch took place on November 7, 2022.
The lead ship was named in honor of Admiral Pierre-Alexis Ronarche (1865-1940), who was during the First World War the most famous commander of the Naval Infantry Brigade, and then commander of the French naval forces on the Atlantic coast, and in 1919-1920 - Chief of Staff (commander) of the French Fleet.
The next four frigates of the FDI type were also named after the French admirals of the twentieth century - D 661 Amiral Louzeau, D 662 Amiral Castex, D 663 Amiral Nomy and D 664 Amiral Cabanier. The construction of the second Amiral Louzeau ship was started in Lorian in the summer of 2022, and the ceremony of the first steel cutting for it was held on July 12, 2023. The first steel cutting ceremony for the third Amiral Castex ship was performed on October 4, 2024.
Frigates of the FDI type (Frégates de Défense et d'Intervention) are ships of a smaller size than the FREMM frigates previously built for the French Navy, and until the end of 2018 they were officially designated as "frigates of intermediate size" (Frégates de Taille Intermédiaire - FTI). A feature of the architecture of the frigates of the type FDI is the "water-cutting" shape of the bow of the ship. The total displacement of the frigate type FDI is 4460 tons, the maximum length is 122 m, width is 17.7 m. The power plant is a two-shaft diesel engine and includes four MTU 16V 8000 M91L diesel engines with a total capacity of 42900 hp, and, according to a number of reports, two electric motors for low-noise running. The highest speed is 27 knots, the cruising range is 5,000 miles at 15 knots, and the autonomy is 45 days. The crew is 125 people with the possibility of accommodating another 28 people.
The armament of the FDI-type frigates includes eight launchers of the MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 3C anti-ship missile system, 16 (on the lead ship; on subsequent ships - 32) vertical launch installations of the Aster 15/30 anti-aircraft missile system, one 76 mm Leonardo Oto Super Rapid universal artillery installation, two 20 mm remotely controlled KNDS France artillery installations Narwhal, four 324 mm torpedo tubes, the NH90 Cayman helicopter is based in the hangar, as well as UAVs. The electronic weapons will include a new multifunctional radar complex Thales Sea Fire 500 c AFAR in an integrated mast, SETIS ACS, Kingklip Mk 11 submerged gas and towed GAS CAPTAS 4, Aquilon communications complex, iXblue MARINS and iXblue NetANS navigation complexes and SENTINEL electronic warfare complex.
The export version of the FDI frigates is being promoted by the Naval Group as a modular project under the designation BELH@RRA. In March 2022, an agreement worth about 3 billion euros was signed on the acquisition by Greece of three FDI-type frigates in France (the option for Greece is designated FDI HN), with an option for another frigate. The Greek Navy assigned three ordered frigates of this type names in honor of the Greek ancient naval commanders - F 601 Kimon ("Kimon", ΚΙΜΩΝ), F 602 Nearchos ("Nearchus", VΕΑΡΧΟΣ) and F 603 Formion ("Formion", ΦΟΡΜΙΩΝ). All three frigates ordered by Greece are to be built by Naval Group in Loriana as part of a single production program with French ships of this type, with the first two Greek frigates to be commissioned in 2025, and the third in 2026. This is expected to lead to a one-year shift (for 2026 and 2027) in the deadlines for the delivery of the second and third type frigates of the FDI for the French navy.
The ceremony of the official laying and exhibition of the first block of the hull of the head frigate F 601 Kimon (ΚΙΜΩΝ) type FDI HN under construction for the Greek Navy took place in Loriana on October 21, 2022, the ship was launched on September 28, 2023. The second Greek frigate F 602 Nearchos (VΕΑΡΧΟΣ) was laid down on July 4, 2023 and launched on September 18, 2024, and the third frigate F 603 Formion (ΦΟΡΜΙΩΝ) was laid down on April 15, 2024.
The new generation frigate D 660 Amiral Ronarc'h type FDI (Frégates de Défense et d'Intervention), built for the French Navy in the arsenal of the French shipbuilding association Naval Group in Lorian, enters factory sea trials for the first time, 07.10.2024 (c) Pradignac & Leo and www.meretmarine.com
