French frigate Bretagne

Bretagne (D655) is an Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy. The Aquitaine class were developed from the FREMM multipurpose frigate program.[1]

Bretagne on 7 January 2017
History
France
Name:	Bretagne
Namesake:	Bretagne
Builder:	DCNS, Lorient
Laid down:	October 2013
Launched:	16 September 2016
Completed:	18 July 2018
Commissioned:	20 February 2019
Homeport:	Brest
Identification:	MMSI number: 226010070 Pennant number: D655
Status:	Active
General characteristics
Class and type:	Aquitaine-class frigate
Displacement:	6,000 tons
Length:	466 ft (142.0 m)
Beam:	65 ft (19.8 m)
Draught:	16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion:	MTU Series 4000 (2.2 MW) CODLOG
Speed:	27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph); max cruise speed 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph)
Range:	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement:	145
Sensors and processing systems:	Héraklès multi-purpose passive electronically scanned array radar CAPTAS-4 towed-array sonar UMS 4110 CL hull-mounted sonar
Armament:	2 x Sylver A50 vertical launch systems for a total of 16 x MBDA Aster 15 or 30 surface-to-air missiles 1 × Leonardo OTO Melara 76 mm SR gun 3 × Nexter 20 mm Narwhal remote weapon systems 8 × MBDA MM40 Exocet block 3 anti-ship missiles 16-cell MBDA SYLVER A70 VLS for 16 MBDA MdCN naval land-attack cruise missiles 2 x double Leonardo (WASS) B-515 launcher for MU 90 torpedoes
Aircraft carried:	1 × NH90 helicopter
Aviation facilities:	Single hangar

Development and design

Original plans were for 17 FREMM hulls to replace the nine D'Estienne d'Orves-class avisos and nine anti-submarine (ASW) frigates of the Tourville and Georges Leygues classes. In November 2005 France announced a contract of €3.5 billion for development and the first eight hulls, with options for nine more costing €2.95 billion split over two tranches (totaling 17).

Following the cancellation of the third and fourth of the Horizon-class frigates in 2005 on budget grounds, requirements for an air-defence derivative of the FREMM called FREDA were placed – with DCNS coming up with several proposals.[2] Expectations were that the last two ships of the 17 FREMM planned would be built to FREDA specifications; however, by 2008 the plan was revised down to just 11 FREMM (9 ASW variants and 2 FREDA variants) at a cost of €8.75 billion (FY13, ~US$12 billion).[3] The 11 ships would cost €670 million (~US$760m) each in FY2014, or €860m (~US$980m) including development costs.[3]

Construction and career

Bretagne was developed as part of a joint Italian-French program known as FREMM, which was implemented to develop a new class of frigates for use by various European navies. Constructed from 2013. On 16 September 2016 the frigate Bretagne was launched.

Unlike previous ASW variants of the FREMM class, Bretagne and her sister ship Normandie are fitted with SYLVER A50 launch cells (instead of SYLVER A43) able to accommodate larger Aster-30 surface-to-air missiles. This provides both ships with a potentially enhanced area air defence capability.[4]

References

1. "Aquitaine class FREMM Frigate French Navy Marine Nationale". www.seaforces.org. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
2. "FREMM : Supprimer des frégates, un non sens économique et stratégique?". Mer et Marine (in French). 19 September 2007. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
3. "Projet de loi de finances pour 2015 : Défense : équipement des forces" (in French). Senate of France. 20 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
4. "French Navy Fitting Aster 30 Long Range SAM on its Last Two ASW FREMM Frigates". navyrecognition.com. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2020.