At Euronaval 2026, French shipbuilder CMN (Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie) unveiled its largest and most heavily armed warship design to date: a 107-meter multi-mission corvette. The new design marks the first time CMN has presented a warship of this size.
The new design is based on the CL75 Mk II multirole offshore patrol vessel with its distinctive inverted bow but features a significantly enlarged hull and an enhanced weapons and sensor suite. Its integrated mast, designed to minimise electromagnetic and infrared signatures, is derived from the one fitted to the 71-meter BR71 Mk II light corvette. The Angolan Navy has ordered three ships of this class.
Compared with the BR71 Mk II, the new corvette doubles its surface-to-air missile (SAM) capacity while maintaining or enhancing its other weapon capabilities and significantly expanding its aviation facilities. The vessel features a steel hull and deck, combined with an aluminium superstructure designed to minimise its radar cross-section (RCS). The wheelhouse also features an optimised layout that provides a wide field of view.
General Characteristics of CMN Naval’s Corvette
The ship has an overall length of approximately 107 meters, a beam of 15 meters, and a draft of 4.5 meters. It can achieve a maximum speed of 24 knots, with a cruising speed of 12 knots. At its cruising speed, the vessel has an impressive range of 9,000 nautical miles. The propulsion is CODAD. Its specified endurance is 30 days, with accommodation for 125 personnel, including 96 crew members.
The corvette features a large flight deck that can accommodate an 11-ton helicopter, while its hangar can house a 6-ton helicopter, as well as unmanned aerial systems (UAS). For surface operations, the corvette can carry two 9-meter rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) launched by a stern ramp and a davit launching and recovering system (LARS) and a small rescue boat launched by a crane.
Weapon Systems
The corvette’s armament includes eight MBDA EXOCET MM40 Block 3C surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs), housed in four twin launchers positioned amidships. At the bow, the corvette carries a Leonardo OTO 76/62 Super Rapid naval gun. Directly behind the gun is a vertical launching system (VLS) comprising two rows of eight cells, for a total of 16 cells dedicated to MBDA VL MICA NG SAM.
The corvette features two decoy launching systems (DLS), resembling the Lacroix SYLENA Mk1/Mk2, at bridge level. These systems can deploy Lacroix’s next-generation SEACLAD naval decoys, while the Mk2 configuration also supports CANTO anti-torpedo decoys.
Amidships, the corvette is equipped with two anti-submarine warfare (ASW) launchers, which operators can alternatively replace with infrared-guided rocket launchers. The rest of the armament includes two 20mm or 30mm remote weapon stations (RWS), positioned on either side of the hangar, and two twin 346mm torpedo launchers beneath the flight deck for MU90 lightweight ASW torpedoes.
Electronic Equipment
The corvette’s sensor suite includes a Leonardo KRONOS NAVAL HP C-band multifunction radar (MFR), housed within the integrated mast’s conical radome above the bridge. Leonardo equips the corvette with an NA-25X fire-control radar (FCR) and a Medusa Mk4 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) system, both positioned forward of the radar radome. A secondary mast, located aft and above the RHIB bay, carries communications equipment.
Above the radar radome, the vessel features an ELT/332 integrated radar and communications electronic support measures (R-ESM and C-ESM) and communications intelligence (COMINT) sensor supplied by ELT Group (Elettronica). The configuration may also include a naval laser warning system (NLWS) and jammers as part of the EW suite.
The corvette’s ASW suite comprises a BLUEWATCHER hull-mounted sonar (HMS) and a CAPTAS-1 variable-depth sonar (VDS), deployed from the stern near the RHIB launch ramp.
