On 23 November, European Joint Armament Cooperation Organisation OCCAR* formally signed acceptance documents on behalf of French defence procurement agency DGA following the delivery of FREMM frigate Aquitaine in compliance with all contractual requirements.
Aquitaine is the first FREMM multimission frigate for the French Navy. This major technological and industrial achievement is the result of a design and construction process conducted under DCNS programme prime contractorship and in close collaboration with the Navy, the DGA and OCCAR every step of the way.
From the moment the FREMM shipbuilding phase got under way, the Group’s employees and partners worked together to apply their know-how to the construction of this first-of-class vessel.
As the programme progressed, DCNS teams ticked the boxes for milestone and milestone until the Aquitaine was floated out of the building dock in April 2010 then set sail for her first sea trials in April 2011. In so doing, all demonstrated yet again their expertise and pride in completing a technologically advanced industrial programme on time.
“We are very pleased to have delivered the first FREMM frigate. This success plus the growing interest expressed by navies around the world in our surface combatant systems strengthens our resolve to pursue our international goals,” says FREMM programme manager Vincent Martinot-Lagarde. “Our proven capabilities in the design, construction and integration of innovative systems have made the Group a new global benchmark in surface combatant systems.”
FREMM multimission frigates are designed for multirole missions including anti-submarine and anti- surface warfare and for subsequent upgrades to the land strike and air defence roles; they are also designed for optimal performance with a complement of just 108.
The Aquitaine’s delivery was celebrated as the FREMM production ramp-up at DCNS’s Lorient shipyard peaked.
Five FREMM frigates are currently under construction at the Group’s Lorient centre:
- second-of-type Mohammed VI for the Royal Moroccan Navy is undergoing sea trials
- third-of-type Normandie is undergoing outfitting after being floated out on 18 October this year
- the fourth-of-type is under construction in a building dock
- pre-outfitting of hull blocks for the fifth-of-type began in September 2011
- plate cutting and machining for the sixth-of-type, also for the French Navy, began in August 2012.
