BRF Jacques Chevallier, the first of four ‘FLOTLOG’ fleet replenishment ships that will be delivered to the French Navy by Naval Group, entered the water in Saint-Nazaire on April 29.
Also referred to as Bâtiments Ravitailleurs de Force in French, the FLOTLOG program will see Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group deliver four units under a French-Italian agreement from January 2019.
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, whose design of the Italian Navy’s Vulcano logistics support ship is serving as the basis for the French units, is delivering the forward sections for the four ships.
Jacques Chevallier is set to start first sea trials in the second half of 2022, with delivery scheduled for the first half of 2023. All four units are expected to be handed over by 2029.
The replenishment ships will have the ability to deliver 13,000 m3 of fuel to French Navy combat vessels. In addition to fuel, they will carry ammunition, spare parts, as well as food for the vessels.
The 194-meter ships will displace 31,000 tons and have a complement 190 personnel, including 130 crew members and 60 passengers.
Naval Group is responsible for the design, development and integration of the military systems of the platform. The combat system for the four ships, whose architecture is based on the Polaris combat management system, ensures the protection against close threats and the fight against asymmetric threats.
“Our industrial facilities enabled us to assemble the 20 blocks of the BRF Jacques Chevallier’s hull in a record time of 50 days. This demonstrates that our expertise as manufacturer of civilian ships can greatly benefit the military in terms of time, cost and quality control,” Laurent Castaing, general manager at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, said.
“Naval Group is proud to be once again present alongside Chantiers de l’Atlantique in this European program. This BRF, the first of a series of four ships, is a strong symbol of Franco-Italian cooperation,” added Pierre Éric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group.
