3D model of Félix Éboué
Class overview
NamePatrouilleur Outre-mer
BuildersSocarenam
Operators Marine Nationale
Preceded byP400-class patrol vessel
In commissionFrom 2023
Planned6
Building4
Completed2
Active1
General characteristics
TypePatrol ship
Displacement1,300 tonnes (1,300 long tons)
Length80 m (262 ft 6 in)
Beam11.8 m (38 ft 9 in)
Draught3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
Speed24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Range5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi)
Boats & landing
craft carried		2 8 m (26 ft) RHIB
Capacity29 passengers
Complement30
Armament
Aircraft carriedAirbus Aliaca UAS

The Patrouilleurs Outre-mer (POM), or Félix Éboué class, are a type of six high-sea patrol vessels of the French Navy. They are to be based at Nouméa, Tahiti and La Réunion, as replacement for the P400-class patrol vessels which are nearing the end of their career. The POM are far larger, with a 1,300-ton displacement fully loaded, and a wider range or capabilities. They are being commissioned with the Navy between 2023 and 2025.[1]

History

Conception

Work conducted in the framework of the BATSIMAR programme and the 2017 Strategic Study for National Defence and Security[2] determined that protecting French overseas regions required capabilities of opposing terrorist action and threats of encroachment. They defined two families of patrol vessels: new generation high sea patrol vessels (patrouilleurs de haute mer de nouvelle génération, PHM-NG), or Oceanic Patrol Vessel; and Overseas Patrol Vessels (Patrouilleurs Outre-mer, POM). The POM are designed to protect territories and conduct coast guard duties, without significant offensive armament. The Direction générale de l'Armement (DGA) issued an invitation to tender for construction in August 2018.[3]

Order

On 3 November 2019, during the Assises de l'économie de la mer, President Emmanuel Macron announced that the Ministry of Armed Forces had assigned the contract for building the six POM to Socarenam, of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Socarenam had previously won the tender for building the Patrouilleurs Antilles-Guyane (PAG) of the Confiance type. DGA issued the official order to Socarenam on 24 December 2019.[1]

The order for design, building and maintenance was published on 12 February 2020. It was assigned jointly to Socarenam and CNN-MCO, of Brest, for a total of 223,939,897 Euros excluding VAT.[4]

Construction

The POM will be named in honour of Free French fighters from the overseas regions where the ships are to be based. The ceremony for the beginning of the construction of the first ship, Auguste Bénébig, took place on 8 October 2020 during a visit of Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly at the Socarenam shipyard in Saint-Malo.[5] The ship was launched on 15 October 2021 at Saint-Malo, and towed to Boulogne-sur-Mer where she arrived on 18 October for her fitting out. She started trials on 26 July 2022, partly from the naval base in Brest. The commissioning is expected for early 2023 after arrival in Nouméa.[6][7]

Characteristics

The Félix Éboué-class vessels displace 1,300 tons fully loaded., with a length of 80 metres (262 ft 6 in), a beam of 11.8 m (38 ft 9 in), and draught of 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in).[8][9] The crew is made up of 30 sailors, but they can accommodate 29 passengers and support combat divers.[1] They are designed to operate in strong heat and high hygrometry during thirty days, with their own craning capabilities. They have two 8 m (26 ft) swift inflatable boats and an Airbus Aliaca unmanned aircraft system (UAS) drone. The drone, capable of up to three-hour missions over a 50-kilometre (31 mi) range, is launched by catapult and recovered automatically via a net.[10] Eleven Aliaca UAS systems are being delivered to the French Navy by 2023 and thirteen more by 2025.[11]

The ships are fitted with a Lyncea combat system made by Nexeya. The same system has been installed on Floréal-class and D'Estienne d'Orves-class patrol vessels since 2009.[12] Surveillance radars are made by Hensoldt.[13] Armament comprises a Nexter Narwhal 20 mm (0.79 in) autogun at the bow, and four mounts for 12.7 mm (0.50 in) and 7.62 mm (0.300 in) machine guns.[1]

Ships in class

Six patrol vessels are planned for the French Navy.[8] The first unit began her transit to her base at Nouméa in New Caledonia in January 2023, arrived in early April[14][15][16][17][18] and was commissioned in July.[19] Another vessel is to be based at Nouméa from 2024/25. Two further ships will be based at La Réunion, and two more at Tahiti. The ships will replace the P400-class patrol boats, as well as Le Malin and Arago.[1]

Hull number Name Construction start Launching Trials Delivery Commissioning Home port
P779 Auguste Bénébig 8 October 2020[20] 15 October 2021[7] Summer 2022[7] 5 May 2023[21][22][18] 25 July 2023 Nouméa
P780 Teriieroo a Teriierooiterai June 2021[23] 5 September 2022[24][25] September 2023[26] 2024[25][27] Papeete
P781 Auguste Techer April 2022[25] 22 December 2023[28] 2025[29] Réunion
P782 Jean Tranape October 2022[citation needed] 2025[citation needed] Nouméa
P783 Philippe Bernardino 2025[27] Papeete
P784 Félix Éboué 2025[citation needed] La Réunion

See also

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e Manaranche, Martin (29 September 2021). "French Navy's New POM OPVs Take Shape At Socarenam Shipyard". Naval News. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  2. ^ Assemblée Nationale. "Question écrite #11898 de M. Franck Marlin. Question publiée au JO le : 04/09/2018 page : 7729. Réponse publiée au JO le : 04/12/2018" (in French).
  3. ^ Lefauteuildecolbert (13 August 2018). "BATSIMAR/POM : appel d'offres pour six frégates de quatrième rang ?". lefauteuildecolbert.blogspot.com (in French).
  4. ^ Direction générale de l'armement. "Avis No 20-13021 publié le 13/02/2020. Développement, réalisation et fourniture de patrouilleurs hauturiers destinés à la Marine nationale, maintien en conditions opérationnelles de ces bâtiments et réalisation de prestations associées, lesdits bâtiments destinés à l'action de l'État en mer dans les zones économiques exclusives ultramarines françaises, concourant aux missions de souveraineté, de surveillance, de protection des intérêts français, de police des pêches et de lutte contre les trafics iilicites. Avis d'attribution" (in French).
  5. ^ Saverat-Guillard, Brigitte (10 October 2020). "Saint-Malo. Socarenam reçoit la ministre des Armées et commence la construction de patrouilleurs". Ouest France (in French).
  6. ^ "POM : Le premier patrouilleur reprend ses essais à Brest, le second en achèvement à Boulogne". Mer et Marine (in French). 21 September 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "Socarenam Begins Sea Trials Of The First POM OPV". Naval News. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  8. ^ a b Direction générale de l'armement. "Avis #102594 publié le 10/08/2018. Développement, réalisation et fourniture de patrouilleurs hauturiers de coque acier ou aluminium, neufs et identiques, MCO de ces bâtiments en outre-mer et réalisation des prestations associées. Avis de marché. Procédure Négociée. Objet du marché" (in French).
  9. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (31 December 2019). Socarenam dévoile les futurs patrouilleurs d'outre-mer (in French). ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)[dead link]
  10. ^ "Airbus' Aliaca drone chosen for French Navy". insideunmannedsystems.com. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  11. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (17 June 2022). "Marine nationale : Une première capacité opérationnelle du SMDM espérée cet été". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  12. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (7 October 2020). "Nexeya va fournir le système de combat des patrouilleurs d'outre-mer". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  13. ^ "HENSOLDT UK supplies surface search radar with IFF to the French Navy". Hensoldt. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  14. ^ "EN IMAGES. L'arrivée du patrouilleur "Auguste-Bénébig" à Nouméa". nouvellecaledonie (in French). 3 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  15. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (16 March 2023). "Le patrouilleur Auguste Bénébig en escale à Papeete avant de rejoindre Nouméa". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  16. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (20 January 2023). "Le premier patrouilleur d'outre-mer a quitté Brest pour rallier Nouméa". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  17. ^ Tanguy, Jean-Marc (4 September 2022). "New French overseas patrol vessels set for 2023 service entry". Shepherd. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  18. ^ a b Groizeleau, Vincent (21 September 2022). "POM : Le premier patrouilleur reprend ses essais à Brest, le second en achèvement à Boulogne". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  19. ^ Lagneau, Laurent (26 July 2023). "Premier patrouilleur outre-Mer, l'Auguste Bénébig a été admis au service actif par la Marine nationale". zone militaire (in French). Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  20. ^ Vavasseur, Xavier (9 October 2020). "SOCARENAM Begins Construction On French Navy's POM OPV". Naval News. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  21. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (5 May 2023). "Livraison du premier patrouilleur d'outre-mer". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  22. ^ "EN IMAGES. L'arrivée du patrouilleur "Auguste-Bénébig" à Nouméa". nouvellecaledonie (in French). 3 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  23. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (18 October 2021). "Marine nationale : la coque du premier POM quitte Saint-Malo pour rallier Boulogne". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  24. ^ Lagneau, Laurent (7 September 2022). "Second patrouilleur outre-Mer, le Teriieroo a Teriierooiterai a été mis à l'eau à Saint-Malo" [Second patrouilleur outre-Mer, the Teriieroo a Teriierooiterai was launched in Saint-Malo]. Opex360 (in French). Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  25. ^ a b c Groizeleau, Vincent (12 September 2022). "Socarenam met à l'eau le second des nouveaux patrouilleurs d'outre-mer". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  26. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (18 September 2023). "Le POM Teriieroo a Teriierooiterai est arrivé à Calais après sa première navigation". Mer et Marine.
  27. ^ a b Groizeleau, Vincent (12 October 2022). "Papeete : un nouveau quai pour accueillir les futurs patrouilleurs du type POM". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  28. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (12 January 2024). "Le troisième patrouilleur d'outre-mer en phase d'armement à flot". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  29. ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (12 January 2024). "Le troisième patrouilleur d'outre-mer en phase d'armement à flot". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 13 January 2024.

External links

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