France’s Normandie frigate in first sea trials

The French Navy’s newest anti-submarine warfare (ASW) FREMM frigate, Normandie, has successfully conducted its first sea trials off the coast of Lorient.

The trials were conducted by an industrial team including Naval Group, the OCCAR FREMM Programme Division, the French Navy crew and the French Procurement Agency to evaluate the vessel’s propulsion and navigation performance.

Further tests and trials of various systems, including the combat management system, will continue in the coming weeks. The frigate is scheduled to be delivered in summer of 2019.

The ASW FREMM frigates are equipped with advanced weapon systems including Heracles multifunction radars, MdCN naval cruise missiles, Aster and Exocet MM40 missiles and MU 90 torpedoes.

To date, five FREMM frigates have been delivered to the French Navy and three ships, including Normandie, are at various stages of assembly and construction at Naval Group Lorient's shipyard. The last two French FREMM Frigates, Alsace and Lorraine, will be delivered in 2021 and 2022, with reinforced air defence capabilities.