Naval Group Unveils Its Premier FDI Warship for the French Naval Force
On Monday, November 7, the inaugural defence and intervention frigate commissioned by the French defence procurement agency (DGA) and intended for the French Navy was launched at Lorient. Designated Amiral Ronarc’h, this vessel is set for delivery in 2024.
The event was attended by Sébastien Lecornu, the French Minister for the Armed Forces, alongside his Greek counterpart, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos.
During the occasion, Pierre Eric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group, remarked: “We take immense pride in commemorating this significant advancement in the industrial production of the first defence and intervention frigate for the French Navy. These state-of-the-art vessels represent the pinnacle of French naval expertise. The Navies operating them will benefit from a high-performing, resilient ship, adept at responding to ever-evolving threats, largely due to the integration of cutting-edge digital technologies. Naval Group remains dedicated to providing its clients with the very best of its expertise to uphold their sovereignty.”
The initial sea trials are set to commence in 2023, with the delivery of the frigate scheduled for 2024. The subsequent four vessels in the series are anticipated to be completed by 2030. Concurrently, Naval Group is also tasked with constructing three FDI frigates for the Hellenic Navy, with a potential fourth vessel under consideration.
A demonstration of regional and national industrial performance
Due to investments by Naval Group, the Lorient facility boasts modern industrial infrastructure, enabling it to tackle the technical and technological hurdles associated with the design and mass production of naval vessels. This optimized industrial setup allows Naval Group to deliver two ships annually from its Lorient facility starting in 2025.
To ensure these frigates meet the required military specifications, Naval Group engages a diverse array of specialized skills. Some of these competencies are unique and scarce, often cultivated through extensive training: sheet metal carpenter, formator-straightener, hull welder, pipe fitter…
To sustain these advanced skills for naval programs, Naval Group actively encourages the recruitment of new talent, having onboarded nearly 500 work-study students and over 1500 new staff members since the year’s beginning.
The FDI initiative enhances the technological edge of the French naval industrial sector. The program bolsters employment in the shipbuilding field across France, particularly in Lorient. Currently, over 1,200 individuals are dedicated full-time to the program at Naval Group, along with more than 400 subcontractors. The FDI initiative incorporates a multitude of French and Greek collaborators, including Thales and MBDA.
FDI: The groundbreaking, 100% digital, and cyber-secure multi-role combat frigate
The FDI is classified as a high-seas vessel. Versatile and resilient, she is engineered to operate independently or as part of a naval task force. It possesses capabilities across all warfare types: anti-surface, anti-air, anti-submarine, and special forces projection. Uniting the finest of French naval technologies within a compact platform, the FDI represents a powerful and innovative frigate, crafted to adapt to evolving threats.
Utilizing the latest digital tools for design and production, the FDI is the first frigate to implement a digital architecture that allows for ongoing adaptation to technological and operational changes. Consequently, the FDI is optimized to address both current and foreseeable threats while managing increasingly large volumes of data.
The FDI will also be the first French frigate inherently safeguarded against cyber threats, featuring two data centers to accommodate a significant proportion of the ship’s applications. The FDI introduces a dedicated system tailored for asymmetric warfare, which will facilitate the coordination and execution of tactics against small and proximate aerial and surface threats, including explosive-laden boats.
Robustly armed (Exocet MM40 B3C anti-surface missiles, Aster anti-air missiles, MU90 antisubmarine torpedoes, artillery), the FDI can simultaneously deploy a helicopter (10-ton class such as NH90) or the upcoming Joint Light Helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle (up to 700kg). Additionally, she can accommodate a Special Forces unit along with their commando vessels. They are outfitted with the next-generation Seafire radar, featuring four fixed panels, developed by Thales, providing unparalleled area defense capabilities when combined with the missile launch system.
Technical specifications:
- • Displacement: 4,500 tons class;
- • Length: 122 meters;
- • Beam: 18 meters;
- • Max speed: 27 knots;
- • Autonomy: 45 days;
- • Accommodation: 125-person crew + 28 passengers.
