Auvergne at Arabian Gulf on 19 September 2017
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History | |
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France | |
Name | Auvergne |
Namesake | Auvergne |
Builder | DCNS, Lorient |
Laid down | August 2012 |
Launched | 2 September 2015 |
Completed | 11 April 2017 |
Commissioned | 22 August 2017 |
Homeport | Toulon |
Identification |
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Status | Active |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Template:Sclass- |
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 | Héraklès multi-purpose passive electronically scanned array radar |
Armament |
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Aircraft carried | 1 × NH90 helicopter |
Aviation facilities | Single hangar |
Auvergne (D654) is a Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy. Which in turn were developed by the FREMM multipurpose frigate program.[1]
Original plans were for 17 FREMM to replace the nine Template:Sclass- avisos and nine anti-submarine frigates of the Template:Sclass- and Template:Sclass-es. 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.[2] 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)[3] at a cost of €8.75 billion (FY13, ~US$12 billion).[4] The 11 ships would cost €670 million (~US$760m) each in FY2014, or €860m (~US$980m) including development costs.[4]
Auvergne 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. On September 2, 2015, the frigate Auvergne was launched.