French Navy Final d’Entrecasteaux-class BSAOM vessel ‘Dumont d’Urville’ Enters Active Service

This means the vessel is now able to conduct operational missions.

Also known as overseas offshore support and assistance vessel (bâtiments de soutien et d’assistance outre-mer or BSAOM), Dumont d’Urville was ordered in 2017 for the French Navy, designed and built by the Kership shipyard (a joint company formed by Piriou and Naval Group) in Brittany. Its construction started in July 2017 and the vessel was handed over in April 2019.

J’ai décidé l’admission au service actif du Dumont d’Urville, 4e bâtiment de soutien et d’assistance outre-mer. Basé à Fort de France, ce bâtiment polyvalent est notamment employé pour le soutien logistique aux populations et participe d’ailleurs déjà à l’opération #Résilience pic.twitter.com/cyI4cvcWa4

— Chef d'état-major de la Marine (@amiralPrazuck) April 17, 2020

I decided to declare Dumont d’Urville ready for active service, it is the 4th overseas support and assistance vessel. Based in Fort de France, this multipurpose vessel is used in particular for logistical support to populations and is already taking part in operation Résilience

Admiral Prazcuk, Chief of Staff of the French Navy

Une partie du fret apporté par le Dixmude à Pointe à Pitre est embarqué à bord du BSAOM Dumont d’Urville, bâtiment spécialement conçu pour l’Outre-mer, pour être ensuite délivré à la Guyane. pic.twitter.com/wTdOgQcqki

— Marine nationale (@MarineNationale) April 19, 2020

Operation Résilience was launched in late March by French President Emmanuel Macron to counter the coronavirus epidemic. It is described as an “unprecedented military operation dedicated to supporting public services and the French people in the fields of health, logistics and protection”.

About the d’Entrecasteaux-class / BSAOM

The French defense procurement agency (DGA) placed with Kership an order for three vessels of the d’Entrecasteaux-class on December 30, 2013. It also signed a six-years maintenance contract with Naval Group. Option for a fourth vessel was lifted in May 2015, with the order formally placed in early 2017.

These four offshore patrol vessels are intended to replace the ageing Champlain-class (BATRAL type Landing Ship Tank vessels), put into service from 1974. The BSAOM vessels were known as B2M (bâtiments multi-missions for multi mission vessels) until January 2019.

First-in-class ship d’Entrecasteaux is based in Noumea (New Caledonia), Bougainville is based in Papeete (Tahiti), Champlain is based in Port Reunion (Reunion island) and Dumont d’Urville is based in Fort-de-France (Martinique).

Main Missions of the d’Entrecasteaux-class / BSAOM vessels:

• The monitoring and protection of French interests in exclusive economic zones (EEZs),
• Disaster relief and humanitarian assistance,
• Projection of police or gendarmerie forces in the context of the fight against illegal immigration, drug trafficking,
• Anti-piracy,
• Fisheries police,
• Fret transport,
• Divers support.

d’Entrecasteux-class / BSAOM vessels main characteristics:

Length overall: 64.95 m
Breadth: 14 m
Draft: 4.20 m
Displacement (full load): 2,300 tonnes 
Displacement (light): 1,500 tonnes
Speed (max): 13 knots
Hull / superstructure: Steel
Amenities: 23 (crew) + 60 passengers
Cargo capacity: 200 tons (solid cargo) / 150 m³ of water / 180 m³ of fuel
Endurance: 30 days at sea