French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique (CdA) has subcontracted Italian counterpart Fincantieri for the deliveries of forward sections of the French Navy’s future FLOTLOG (Flotte logistique) ships.
The four ships that are to be built for the French Navy will be based on the Vulcano design Fincantieri is building for the Italian Navy.
The forward sections will be built in Castellammare di Stabia (Naples), as was the case with the Italian Navy ship Vulcano, with deliveries to Chantiers de l’Atlantique scheduled between 2021 and 2027.
The contract is part of the FLOTLOG program, which provides for the construction of four logistic support ships (LSS) for the French Navy by the temporary consortium between Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group under the Franco-Italian LSS Program led by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) on behalf of DGA, the French Armament General Directorate, and its Italian counterpart, NAVARM.
In this context, Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group agreed to outsource the construction of the forward sections of the four vessels to Fincantieri.
The LSS combines capacity to transport and transfer to other transport vessels liquid loads (diesel fuel, jet fuel, fresh water) and solid loads (emergency spare parts, food and ammunitions).
The first two French units are scheduled to be delivered by 2025. The LSS will replace the Marine Nationale’s single-hulled Durance-class replenishment ships which entered service in the 1970s and 80s.
The Italian version of the LSS is 193 meters long and will be equipped with a hospital and healthcare capabilities with operating rooms, radiology and analysis rooms, a dentist’s office and hospital rooms that will be capable of hosting up to 17 seriously injured patients.
The French LSS could be expected to be fitted with naval guns and missiles, unlike the limited defense systems that will feature on the Italian platform.