French ship Foudre (L9011)

Foudre was an amphibious assault ship of the Marine Nationale, the twelfth vessel to bear the name, and lead ship of the Foudre-class landing platform docks. In December 2011 the vessel was sold to the Chilean Navy and renamed Sargento Aldea.

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Foudre.
Foudre at Toulon
History
France
Name: Foudre
Namesake: Lightning
Builder: DCN, Brest
Laid down: 26 March 1986
Launched: 19 November 1988
Commissioned: 7 December 1990
Decommissioned: December 2011
Homeport: Toulon
Identification: L 9011
Fate: Transferred to the Chilean Navy in December 2011
Chile
Name: Sargento Aldea
Namesake: Sergeant Juan de Dios Aldea Fonseca[1]
Acquired: 23 December 2011
Homeport: Valparaiso
Identification: LSDH-91
Status: In active service
General characteristics
Class and type: Foudre-class landing platform dock
Displacement:
  • 11,300 tonnes (standard)
  • 12,000 tonnes (full load)
Length: 168 m (551 ft)
Beam: 23.5 m (77 ft)
Draught: 5.2 m (17 ft)
Installed power: 20,800 hp (15,500 kW)
Propulsion:
  • Engines: 2 SEMT Pielstick 16 PC 2.5 V400 diesels
  • Propellers: 2 adjustable-blade propellers and one beam propeller
  • Auxiliaries: 1 beam propeller (1,000 hp)
  • Electrical plant:5 SACM-Unidiesel diesels alternators
  • Electrical power: 4,250 kW (5 × 850 kW)
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range: 11,000 nautical miles; 12,600 miles (20,300 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 8 landing craft
Capacity: 150-man command headquarters
Troops: 450 (900 for a short cruise)
Crew:
  • 20 officers
  • 80 petty officers
  • 60 Quarter-masters
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 4 helicopters AS-532 Cougar (Chilean Navy)
Aviation facilities: Hangar

Service history

Marine Nationale

Foudre served during the war in Yugoslavia, and was the central element of Operation Licorne in Côte d'Ivoire.

On 17 January 2009, one of Foudre's helicopters crashed off the coast of Gabon, killing eight French military personnel.

Sale and Chilean Navy service

In October 2011 it was announced that Chile and France had finalized negotiations for sale of Foudre to Chile for around USD80 million.[2] She was transferred to Chile on 23 December 2011 and renamed Sargento Aldea.[1]

See also

References
  1. "LSDH 91 "Sargento Aldea"". Armada de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  2. "Chile; Navy decides on ex-French LSD vessel". Defence Market Intelligence. 8 October 2011. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.


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