Auvergne (D654) is an Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy. The Aquitaine class were developed from the FREMM multipurpose frigate program.
 Auvergne in the Persian Gulf on 19 September 2017
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Auvergne |
| Namesake | Auvergne |
| Builder | DCNS, Lorient |
| Laid down | August 2012 |
| Launched | 2 September 2015 |
| Completed | 11 April 2017 |
| Commissioned | 14 February 2018 |
| Homeport | Brest[1][2] |
| Identification |
|
| 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 | |
| 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 |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 1 × NH90 helicopter |
| Aviation facilities | Single hangar |
Development and design
editOriginal plans were for 17 FREMM to replace the nine D'Estienne d'Orves-class avisos and nine anti-submarine 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.[5] 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).[6] The 11 ships would cost €670 million (~US$760m) each in FY2014, or €860m (~US$980m) including development costs.[6] In 2015, the total number of ASW variants was further reduced to just six units, including Auvergne.
Construction and career
editAuvergne 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 2012. The frigate Auvergne was launched on 2 September 2015 and commissioned in 2018.
In late 2021/early 2022, just prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the frigate deployed to the Black Sea for exercises with the Bulgarian and other NATO navies.[7] The frigate departed the Black Sea prior to the outbreak of hostilities.
She was initially home ported at Toulon, but transferred to the naval base at Brest in December 2022.[8][9][10]
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Auvergne at Fremantle on 18 November 2017.
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USS Nimitz and the frigates Jean Bart and Auvergne on 19 September 2017.
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NHIndustries NH90 helicopter of the French Naval Aviation landing on Auvergne.
References
edit- ^ "La frégate Auvergne a rallié Brest | Mer et Marine". 19 December 2022.
- ^ "La Marine nationale va doubler le nombre de frégates basées à Brest | Mer et Marine". 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Photos: Naval Group Launches 'Lorraine', its Final FREMM Frigate". 13 November 2020.
- ^ "First Exocet MM40 Block 3c Missiles set for December Delivery". 17 October 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ "French frigate Auvergne conducts drills with Bulgarian frigate Drazki in Black Sea".
- ^ "La FREMM Auvergne en route pour sa nouvelle base de Brest | Mer et Marine". 5 December 2022.
- ^ "La Marine nationale va doubler le nombre de frégates basées à Brest | Mer et Marine". 8 November 2022.
- ^ "La FREMM Auvergne rejoindra sa nouvelle base de Brest en novembre | Mer et Marine". 8 July 2022.