Thales and Naval Group Join Forces for Comprehensive Support of France’s Versatile Frigates
The FREMM lifecycle support agreement, which commenced in January 2023, stands as one of the most significant support contracts granted to Thales by Naval Group since the establishment of the French Navy’s Fleet Support Service (SSF). It will assure the operational readiness of the Navy’s eight multi-mission frigates stationed in Brest and Toulon. Thales will leverage its industrial capabilities and product knowledge to assist the warships, guarantee the everyday functionality of their on-board systems, and maintain their operational effectiveness over the long haul.
The FREMM initiative was initiated in 2005 and is a crucial element of France’s anti-submarine warfare strategy. Outfitted with Thales sonars, radars, optronics, and communication technologies, the frigates are highly regarded for their operational range, endurance, and superior performance: the vessels and their crews have received commendation from the US Navy for their anti-submarine warfare abilities, clinching esteemed Hook’em Awards in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
The rigorous deployment of warships and their systems imposes additional stress on every facet of a naval force. The operational readiness of France’s multi-mission frigates is an essential factor in sustaining the nation’s naval capabilities and ensuring the operational freedom of the French military.
To enhance the utilization of the French Navy’s resources over the long term, Naval Group and Thales are establishing a collaborative center of expertise, harnessing the specialized knowledge and skills of both entities. In order to troubleshoot and address technical matters swiftly and effectively, the center’s dedicated multidisciplinary team will continuously oversee the technical performance of the Thales equipment and offer a rapid response capability at all times. Thales will ensure proactive management of component obsolescence to further improve the flexibility of the FREMM technical support teams, consistently analyzing system status to identify potential supply chain challenges and expedite problem resolution by experts from Naval Group and Thales.
“Thales takes pride in seizing this opportunity to build on over 50 years of expertise in delivering advanced naval equipment, systems, and services by collaborating with Naval Group to assure the operational readiness of the French Navy’s FREMM frigates. This contract exemplifies the confidence placed by the French Navy and Naval Group in Thales’s capacity to provide locally-based, long-term support for the strategic assets fundamental to French naval power.”Philippe Duhamel, EVP Defence Mission Systems, Thales
