First Amiral Ronarc'h-class frigate designed and built by Naval Group is set to be delivered to the French Navy in 2025.
The first FDI, Amiral Ronarc’h (D660), set sails from the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient on 7 October, 2024, under heavy weather. The French shipbuilder, alongside experts from the French defense procurement agency (DGA) and French Navy will now put the first-in-class ship through its paces ahead of a delivery now expected in the Summer of 2025.
The keel laying of the first FDI took place in December 2021 and the launch in November 2022. The first sea trials were originally expected to begin in 2023 and the ship delivery in 2024. The program is facing a delay for the first ship but this is becoming the norm (more than the exception) for any new naval shipbuilding program worldwide. The next five ships in the series (three for the Hellenic Navy and two for the French Navy) are still expected be delivered before 2030. A total of five vessels are set to be delivered to France (three hulls already on order, the remaining two ships will be ordered later on). In addition, three frigates are currently under construction for Greece, with an option for a fourth unit which could be lifted soon.
Thanks to the investments made by Naval Group, the site of Lorient has a modern industrial infrastructure that enables it to meet the technical and technological challenges of designing and building naval vessels in series. Thanks to this industrial organization that optimizes construction times, Naval Group is able to deliver two ships per year at its Lorient site from 2025.
During a visit to the Lorient shipyard on 4 October 2024, Naval News learned that Naval Group has already started construction of the 6th FDI in the series (set to be the third vessel for the French Navy, Amiral Castex) and saw the first blocks of the 5th FDI (which will be known as Amiral Louzeau).
About FDI Frigate
According to Naval Group, the FDI is a high sea vessel. Multipurpose and resilient, she is capable of operating, alone or within a naval force. She offers capabilities for all types of warfare: anti-surface, anti-air, anti-submarine and as well as for special forces projection. Bringing together the best of French naval technologies on a compact platform, the FDI is a powerful and innovative frigate, designed to meet the evolution of threats.
Designed and produced using the latest digital tools, FDI is the first frigate to benefit from a digital architecture that will allow her continuous adaptation to technological and operational evolutions. As a result, the FDI will be able to address current and future threats and to handle always more data.
The FDI will be the first French frigate natively protected against cyber threats, with two data centers virtually accommodating a great part of the ship applications. The FDI introduces the concept of a dedicated CIC and systems for asymmetric warfare. These will enable the coordination and conduct of the fight against small and close air and surface threats, including UAVs and USVs.
Strongly armed (Exocet MM40 B3C anti-surface missiles, Aster anti-air missiles, MU90 antisubmarine torpedoes, artillery), the FDI is able to embark simultaneously a helicopter (10 tons class such as NH90) or the future Joint Light Helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle (up to 700kg). She can also receive a Special Forces detachment with their two commando boats. They are equipped with the new generation Seafire radar with four fixed panels, developed by Thales, which, combined with the missile delivery system, offers unmatched area defence capabilities.
Technical specifications:
- displacement: 4,500 tons
- length: 122 meters
- beam: 18 meters
- max. speed: 27 knots
- autonomy: 45 days
- operational availability: 3,500 hours per year
- accomodation: 125-persons crew + 28 passengers
- aviation facility: 10 ton-class helicopter, VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
The main weapon systems of the FDI are:
- Non-lethal weapon systems
- 16 Aster surface to air missiles developed by MBDA
- 8 Exocet MM40 Block 3c anti-ship missiles developed by MBDA
- MU 90 torpedoes developed by Naval Group
- 76 mm gun
- 2 Narwhal 20mm remote weapon stations
- 4 torpedo tubes
- CANTO counter measures developed by Naval Group
