One of Britain’s biggest warships was towed through the Channel to help the French test the power of a new specialist ship.

The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) took delivery of the fourth Metropolitan Offshore Support & Assistance Vessel (BSAM) on July 4th. Ordered in 2016 for the French Navy, the BSAM Garonne is the final ship of a class designed and built by the Kership shipyard.

The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) yesterday took delivery of another Metropolitan Offshore Support & Assistance Vessel (BSAM) Seine. Ordered in 2016 for the French Navy, the BSAM Seine is the third of four ships designed and built by the Kership shipyard.

'Rhône' has recently returned from its first long-term deployment. The vessel sailed 19,000 nautical miles, through the Northeast Passage, from the Norwegian Sea to the Bering Strait, through the Barents, Kara, Laptevn Siberia and Tukukche Seas. It went back to its homeport (Brest naval base in Britanny) after passing through the Panama Canal.