OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement / Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) announced today that the Jacques Stosskopf started its sea trials campaign on 9 April, 2025. The vessel is the second of four new logistic support ships (LSS) known as “BRF”, or Jacques Chevallier-class, for the French Navy (Marine Nationale).
OCCAR said in a statement on social media:
This important milestone represents the starting of the sea trials sessions for the second French ship of OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) LSS Programme and the final straight before the delivery at the end of the year.
In the coming days, acceptance tests will be conducted by industrial contractors in the presence of OCCAR LSS Programme Division Staff Members, DGA – Direction générale de l’armement experts and French Navy, Marine Nationale personnel to verify the compliance of onboard platform systems and equipment with their operational requirements.
It will be followed by additional sea trial sessions in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean before the final delivery in Toulon, France.
The first-in-class ship was launched in Saint-Nazaire on 29 April 2022. The Bâtiment Ravitailleur de Forces (BRF) Jacques Chevallier is the first of a series of four ships intended for the French Navy as part of the FLOTLOG program. The contract was awarded in January 2019 to Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group. The four vessels will be delivered successively until 2029. Naval Group acts as the prime contractor for the program.
The FLOTLOG program is part of a Franco-Italian cooperation led by OCCAR on behalf of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) and its Italian counterpart NAVARM, within the Logistic Support Ship (LSS) program.
Construction of the third vessel, named Emile Bertin, began at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in early 2024 and includes a section manufactured in Italy. Its delivery is scheduled for 2027.
The Jacques Chevallier, the first in the series, was delivered to the French Navy in July 2023 and is currently deployed as part of the French carrier strike group.
About BRF / Chevallier-class Replenishment Tanker
Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group were awarded a contract for the construction of four supply vessels in January 2019. The vessels are set to be delivered between the end of 2022 and 2029. It is part of a Franco-Italian program led by OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement – Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation), on behalf of the French defense procurement agency (DGA) and its Italian counterpart NAVARM. As such, the design of the French BRF design is based on the Italian Navy LSS (Vulcano-class) designed by Fincantieri.
Safran Electronics & Defense was selected to supply the PASEO XLR extra long-range naval optronic identification & fire control system while to all four vessels of the class, while Vestdavit has won a tender from Chantiers de l’Atlantique to supply the davit systems for the BRFs. The RAPIDFire naval gun system developed by the consortium formed by Thales and Nexter has been chosen as the main artillery and CIWS for the class (two systems per ship, altough the first-in-class vessel may get only one initially). MBDA will supply two Simbad-RC Very Short Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) Systems per ship. GE is providing the propulsion systems (MV7000 drives) of the vessels.
The Jacques Stosskopf features some minor modifications compared to the first-in-class ship: The Simbad-RC systems have been placed on small bridge wings, in order to give them better coverage to protect the ship.
Main characteristics of the BRF vessels
Gross tonnage: 28,700 GRT
Displacement at full load: 31,000 tonnes
Overall length: 194 m
Overall width: 27.60 m
Crew capacity: 190 people (including 130 crew members and capacity for 60 passengers)
Total deadweight: 14,870 tonnes
Freight volume: 13,000 m3
Total installed capacity: 24 MW
Artillery: 40 mm guns
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