Article Posted on : - Apr 18, 2017

FREMM Auvergne. A DCNS photo

TOULON (BNS): The French Navy has received its fourth FREMM multi-mission frigate "Auvergne" from DCNS on April 11.

The frigate is the fourth of the series ordered by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation) on behalf of the French DGA, DCNS said.

"Auvergne" was launched in September 2015 and floated out exactly a year later. The previous platform of the class, "Languedoc", was officially handed over to the Navy in March 2016.

The FREMM family of frigates with technically advanced features is being built to counter all threats emanating from air, sea or land. With a displacement of 6000 tons and a length of 142-m, the vessel can cruise at a speed of 27 knots.

Each warship will carry state-of-the-art weapons and systems including the MdCN cruise missiles, Aster anti-air missiles, Exocet MM40 anti-ship missiles and MU90 torpedoes. The sensor suite of the frigate is designed around the Herakles multifunction radar with a range of more than 250 kilometres.

The FREMM programme currently involves the construction of ten frigates, eight of which are meant for the French Navy. Six of these are slated for delivered by 2019. The remaining two, equipped with extended anti-aircraft capabilities, will be delivered before 2022.

DCNS is currently completing the FREMM "Bretagne", which was floated on 16 September 2016, and is pursuing the assembly of the FREMM "Normandie".

Work has also started on the ninth FREMM in the series, the "Alsace", which will be one of the two FREMMs with strengthened anti-aircraft capacities, DCNS said.