Foudre at Toulon
History
France
Name	Foudre
Namesake	Lightning
Builder	DCN, Brest
Laid down	26 March 1986
Launched	19 November 1988
Commissioned	7 December 1990
Decommissioned	December 2011
Homeport	Toulon
Identification	L 9011
Fate	Transferred to the Chilean Navy in December 2011
Chile
Name	Sargento Aldea
Namesake	Sergeant Juan de Dios Aldea Fonseca[1]
Acquired	23 December 2011
Homeport	Valparaiso
Identification	LSDH-91
Status	In active service
General characteristics
Class and type	Foudre-class landing platform dock
Displacement	11,300 tonnes (standard) 12,000 tonnes (full load)
Length	168 m (551 ft)
Beam	23.5 m (77 ft)
Draught	5.2 m (17 ft)
Installed power	20,800 hp (15,500 kW)
Propulsion	Engines: 2 SEMT Pielstick 16 PC 2.5 V400 diesels Propellers: 2 adjustable-blade propellers and one beam propeller Auxiliaries: 1 beam propeller (1,000 hp) Electrical plant:5 SACM-Unidiesel diesels alternators Electrical power: 4,250 kW (5 × 850 kW)
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range	11,000 nautical miles; 12,600 miles (20,300 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	8 landing craft
Capacity	150-man command headquarters
Troops	450 (900 for a short cruise)
Crew	20 officers 80 petty officers 60 Quarter-masters
Armament	3 Simbad systems 3 30 mm Breda-Mauser guns 4 12.7 mm M2-HB Browing machine guns
Aircraft carried	4 helicopters AS-532 Cougar (Chilean Navy)
Aviation facilities	Hangar

Foudre was an amphibious assault ship of the Marine Nationale, the twelfth vessel to bear the name, and lead ship of the Foudre-class landing platform docks. In December 2011 the vessel was sold to the Chilean Navy and renamed Sargento Aldea.

Service history

Marine Nationale

Foudre served during the war in Yugoslavia, and was the central element of Opération Licorne in Côte d'Ivoire.

On 17 January 2009, one of Foudre's helicopters crashed off the coast of Gabon, killing eight French military personnel.

Sale and Chilean Navy service

In October 2011 it was announced that Chile and France had finalized negotiations for sale of Foudre to Chile for around USD80 million.^[2] She was transferred to Chile on 23 December 2011 and renamed Sargento Aldea.^[1]