Article Posted on : - Jul 07, 2011

FREMM Aquitaine during sea trials in April 2011. Photo: DCNS.

LORIENT (BNS): The FREMM multi-mission frigate Aquitaine has completed the second series of sea trials at the Groix Island in the Bay of Biscay.

DCNS will demonstrate all the satisfactory performance of the ship's combat system sensors before delivering it to the French Navy in 2012.

The three week trials was comprised of French Navy personnel, customer representatives and DCNS employees, who tested the performance of the combat system sensors including radars, hull-mounted and towed-array sonars and the infrared search & track (IRST) system.

“Like the first trials, this second series yielded excellent results. This time the focus was on the ship’s combat system sensors. The first trials, in April, demonstrated the ship’s seakeeping and were very well received,” FREMM programme manager Vincent Martinot-Lagarde, said.

DCNS has scheduled an another round of sea trials for FREMM frigate Aquitaine in autumn.

The French FREMM programme calls for 12 ships – 11 for the French Navy and one for the Royal Moroccan Navy.