The Navy of France entered the head multipurpose frigate class FREMM (Frigates European Multi Mission) D 650 Aquitaine (Aquitaine). The official ceremony was accomplished November 23, 2012-year. The act of acceptance signed by the Chief of Staff of the French Navy (chef d’etat-major de la Marine) Enrogel Admiral Bernard (Bernard Rogel). FREMM is a joint French-Italian applets construction of multipurpose frigates built for anti-submarine and anti-aircraft defense, destruction of surface ships and attack ground targets deep in enemy terrain. Each frigate has the ability to act as both ship Motivated control group.
According to the program there FREMM, will be built frigates? A 2-versions for anti-submarine warfare (Anti-Submarine Warfare, ASW) and ground support operations. Yet, each type of frigate will have a similar defensive capabilities against air threats and surface ships. Both versions will have the NH90 helicopters and cruise missiles capable of storming ground targets. Anti-submarine version of the FREMM (ASW) will have the towed sonar and additional torpedoes. Version support ground operations will be equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the possibility of landing troops on enemy saved.
Initially, the French Navy and Italy intend to purchase up to 27 frigates FREMM, delivery planned for 2008th year, the last ship of the series is to be built in the second decade of the 21st century. The official start was given to programs from which both countries have gained an initial agreement in 2002 to the year. Frigates ordered both countries will vary depending on the specific requirements of each fleet.
In an interview with Defense News, Admiral Rogelio asked about the rumors of a postponement of deliveries subsequent FREMM frigates due to the economic situation in France as a whole and the reduction of the military budget this year to 66.4 million euros as follows:
«It is hard to answer, as we have snow-white cook book (the military budget in France). Principle not to start with the definition of abilities, but with the military and defense ambitions, then put them in the context of the economy, and only then to find power. Naval component is very principled. Thanks nedavneshnemu report of the French Senate, which reads about «maritimization» (amplification of the Navy), people understand the importance of the sea for our country.
Stroll the rumors, but as long as Snow White book is completed, we will not have picked a financial component of our defense. Naturally, the necessary efforts will be made, but it should be remembered that their effects are not similar in cuts over 3 or 4 years old — or long-term, about 10 years old. All this is happening against the background of its fleet renewal: submarines with ballistic missiles, receipts frigates FREMM, Barracuda submarines and maritime patrol vessels that will change the abundance of today’s Navy.
France has the second largest navy after the United States, which imposes on us certain obligations and responsibilities. Now hard to find value, but we are in the middle of the path of renewal of the French fleet. «
A member of the defense committee of Italy Pier Fausto Rechia (Pier Fausto Recchia) said that the construction of FREMM frigates, Italy laid in the budget of the Ministry of Defence of 321 million euros in 2013, it was, 261 million in 2014, the year and 268 million in the 2015th year. Italian FREMM provided for the first substitution Lupo frigates and Maestrale.
The European Agency for procurement of arms (OCCAR) signed a contract of 3.5 billion euros, an industrial group of companies consisting of Thales, Fincantieri, DCN and MBDA for the development and construction of the first batch of class frigates FREMM. First eight frigates, six of which will be made in the ASW version (ASW) and two others to support ground operations, will be built for the French Navy. Deliveries were to begin in 2011 and be completed by 2016-year. The French frigate F67, F70 and Aviso A69 will be changed to the FREMM. At the moment, is the order of 12 frigates, which makes the program from naikrupneyshey FREMM naval applets in Europe.
Home applets FREMM held November 14, 2005, cutting the first sheet for Aquitaine — March 16, 2007, the tab at the shipyard DCNS Lorient — in December of 2007, launching — April 29, 2010, the year the first exit to the sea — 18 th April 2011 and adoption — November 23, 2012-year.
The manufacturer emphasizes that the FREMM frigates are not equal to itself in its class (6,000 tons displacement) due to:
— Build quality of the ship;
— The reliability of all the components used;
— The small size of the crew;
— Lower fuel consumption at cruising speed.
In October 2004, Alenia Marconi Systems (AMS) has published a report that it has been selected as the primary provider applets FREMM. In the framework of missile frigates will form a complex radar system designed EMPAR programs from AMS to Horizon. AMS will also deliver a new generation of radar IFF, radar medium-range acts RAN 30X / I, the fire control system NA-25.
Thanks to modern equipment, the crew of the ship, including the air group, is only 108 persons (22 officers, 70 non-commissioned officers, 16 petty officers and sailors). In addition to his board can accommodate 145 people landing (in special cases up to 180).
Ship to equip the hybrid propulsion system consisting of two gas turbine engine CODLOG LM2500 G4 32 MW (43,500 hp). In carrying out anti-submarine operations can be consumed low-noise driving mode with the reversible electric motors of 2.5 MW each, allowing a speed of 16 knots. The highest speed achieved by a mechanical drive and 2 screws constant pitch. Also, there is one draw-rotating thruster retractable device with electronic drive. Italian Navy retained the possibility to equip the frigates with additional gas turbines for ships merits speed 32-33 knots.
Installed equipment frigate contains a radar system Hercules (Herakles). Scalp cruise missile launches the vertical launch system (vertical launch system, VLS) Sylver-70 and set up for strikes on enemy targets deep in its territory. In addition, the French frigates will have anti-ship missiles MM40 Exocet Block 3. Italian FREMM frigates will have protivokorablnoy weapon system TESEO / OTOMAT and antiship missiles MILAS. Aquitaine began running tests in April 2011. During the test in June this year, he held a successful torpedo firing.
Common to both options frigate weaponry contains 16 anti-aircraft missiles (reserved space for 32) Aster 15 vertical launch system Sylver A50 (may be the location of Sylver A70), two naval guns Oto-Melara Oerlikon KBA 25mm/80, two 324 — mm torpedo system Eurotorp MU-90 (19 torpedoes), 2 missile launchers AMS Oto-Melara SCLAR-H, two 20-millimeter machine gun with a remote control, and two 12.7-millimeter machine gun. Antisubmarine option has an additional 4-16 antiship missiles Teseo Mk2 Block IV range of 150 km, with 4 anti-submarine missiles MBDA Milas range of up to 35-km (Teseo and Milas use the same launcher) and 2 naval gun mounts Oto Melara 76/62 with shells Davide / Dart. Version support ground operations has eight anti-ship missiles Teseo Mk2 Block IV range of 150 km, a naval artillery installation Oto Melara 76/62 with shells Davide / Dart and a naval artillery installation Oto Melara 127/64 LW with shells Vulcano. Air Group is represented with 2 helicopters NH-90 NFH or one NH-90 NFH and one EH101.
Electrical systems include functional radar Selex EMPAR (Italian frigate), three-dimensional functional S-band radar Herakles with a range of 250 km, the combat system for rockets SAAM-ESD, radar near / medium-range surface to monitor the traffic situation and the low-level SELEX Sistemi Integrati (ex-AMS) RAN-30X / I (SPS-791), 2 automatic fire control Selex NA25 (Italian frigateSystem), fire-control 76-mm guns Sagem Najir, 2 surface radar, infra-red system to detect and track-type SASS (Galileo) or Thales Artemis, based control system developed for the Horizon, system helicopter landing Samahe, the system of internal and external communications satellites built by military and civilian purpose, active and passive electronic warfare, including acoustic and electric bait.
Sonar: Fixed mid-frequency sonar Thompson / Thales Marconi Sonar UMS 4110 CL weighing about 8 tons, 2 meters in height and is equipped with 500 hydrophones allows to detect mines. Low frequency towed sonar Thales 4249 installed only on anti version of ASW.
Price: the total cost of the program from the costs for design and construction of 10 frigates are 5.68 billion euros. For the first two frigates were transferred 1.25 billion euros and 51 million for training and support. The implementation of the next tranche of 4 frigates was 1.628 billion euros, while support for all six frigates will cost 130 million euros.
Besides taken into the arms D 650 frigate Aquitaine, based in Brest, France, for the Navy was launched 18.10.2012 frigate D651 Normandie, at a shipyard in Lorient 15.12.2010 and 30.11.2011 laid frigates D652 Provence and D653 Languedoc respectively. Both pledged frigate will be based in Toulon. Total current time in France to build 11 ships of FREMM, nine anti-submarine version of ASM and two ships in support of ground operations (the last in the series).
Italian class frigates FREMM Carlo Bergamini (this frigate was performed in the multipurpose version) and Virginio Fasan were launched 16.07.2011 and 31.3.2012 respectively, as other Italian class frigates FREMM, will be based in La Spezia. The first two should go into service in 2013, the year. The next three frigates for the Italian Navy F591 Virginio Fasan, F592 Carlo Margottini and F592 Luigi Rizzo laid 17.12.2009, 14.9.2010 and 28.9.2011 respectively. Shipbuilding is an Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri shipyard Riva Trigoso (Genoa). Italian Navy plans to acquire 10 class frigates FREMM, four in anti-submarine and ASW version 6 to support ground operations.
In addition, in Lorient under construction frigate FREMM class Mohammed VI of Morocco for the Navy, which is the second French FREMM frigate construction. It was launched on 14.09.2011, his driving test is scheduled for the 2013th year.
Tactical and technical properties of the FREMM
Country: France
Developer: DCN Lorient
Propulsion: hybrid, gas-turbine 2, 2 fixed pitch propeller
Power Supply: 4 diesel generator at 2.1 MW each
The highest speed: 27 knots
Range: 6,000 nautical miles at 15 knots
Total displacement of 5980 tons
Great length: 142 m
Width: 19.4
Draught: 5 m (with thruster 7.3 m)
Helipad: 26.5h18.5 m capable of taking the 11-and-ton class helicopter NH90, EH101
Helicopter Hangar: 18h12.5 m
Run time: 45 days
Crew: 108
Troopers: 145 (180)
The expected life of the ship for more than 30 years