French Navy’s newest FREMM frigate begins lengthy deployment

FS Languedoc, French Navy’s newest FREMM frigate delivered to the navy in March 2016, left the Toulon Naval Base on August 12 to begin her long-term deployment.

With some 140 sailors on board and an embarked NH90 NFH (NATO frigate helicopter), also referred to as Caïman by the French, the FS Languedoc will spend the next several months sailing the North Atlantic and the Arctic.

During her deployment, FS Languedoc will have the opportunity to interact with allied navies and safeguard French export industry. This deployment will also allow the crew to hone their anti-submarine warfare skills with the Caiman helicopter.

Languedoc was the third FREMM frigate to be delivered to the Navy by French naval defence company DCNS on March 16. The ship was officially accepted by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation), an international organisation for the through-life management of cooperative defense equipment programs, which has the role of contracting authority for FREMMs intended for France and Italy.

According to a DCNS fact file, the 142-meter ships are equipped with the Herakles multifunction radar, the naval cruise missile (MdCN), the Aster and Exocet MM 40 missiles or the MU 90 torpedoes. They can reach maximum speeds of 27 knots and have a range of 6,000 miles at a speed of 15 knots. The ships can be operated by a crew of 108, with the helicopter detachment included.