Provence underway on 21 May 2019
History
France
NameProvence
NamesakeProvence
BuilderDCNS, Lorient
Laid down15 December 2010
Launched18 September 2013
Completed2015
Commissioned12 June 2015
HomeportToulon[1][2]
Identification
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class and typeAquitaine-class frigate
Displacement6,000 tons
Length466 ft (142.0 m)
Beam65 ft (19.8 m)
Draught16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion
Speed27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph); max cruise speed 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph)
Range6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement145
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
Aircraft carried1 × NH90 helicopter
Aviation facilitiesSingle hangar

Provence (D652) is an Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy. The Aquitaine class were developed as part of the FREMM multipurpose frigate program.[5]

Development and design

Original plans were for 17 FREMM to replace the nine D'Estienne d'Orves-class avisos and nine anti-submarine frigates of the Tourville and Georges Leygues classes. 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.[6] 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)[7] at a cost of €8.75 billion (FY13, ~US$12 billion).[8] The 11 ships would cost €670 million (~US$760m) each in FY2014, or €860m (~US$980m) including development costs.[8] In 2015, the total number of ASW variants was further reduced to just six units, including Provence.

Construction and career

Provence 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. Construction on the ship began in 2010 and was completed in 2015.[9]

Provence operated in the north of the Indian Ocean from 23 December 2015, and the frigate briefly joined the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, then joined the Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group which in addition to Provence included the frigates Chevalier Paul and La Motte-Picquet, a nuclear attack submarine, the replenishment ship Marne, the British HMS Defender and the German Augsburg, which accompanied them in the crossing of the Strait of Hormuz on 26 December as part of Opération Chammal. The Caiman Marine of the 33F flotilla embarked on Provence was able to show its ability to land on the American aircraft carrier.[10]

In March 2016, as part of Combined Task Force 150, the frigate made a major arms seizure off the coast of Somalia.[11]

From 18 November to 2 December 2021, Provence took part in Exercise Polaris 21 in the western Mediterranean Sea.[12] In October 2022, the frigate participated in joint exercises with the Croatian Navy in the Adriatic Sea.[13]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to D652 Provence (ship, 2015).
  1. ↑ "La FREMM Provence rallie Toulon, sa nouvelle demeure". 24 July 2018.
  2. ↑ "FS Provence D-652 Frigate FREMM French Navy Marine Nationale".
  3. ↑ "Photos: Naval Group Launches 'Lorraine', its Final FREMM Frigate". Naval News. 13 November 2020.
  4. ↑ Vavasseur, Xavier (17 October 2022). "First Exocet MM40 Block 3c Missiles Set For December Delivery". Naval News. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  5. ↑ "Aquitaine class FREMM Frigate French Navy Marine Nationale". seaforces.org. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  6. ↑ "FREMM : Supprimer des frégates, un non sens économique et stratégique?". Mer et Marine (in French). 19 September 2007. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "FREMM : 11 frégates multi-missions pour la flotte française". Mer et Marine (in French). 26 October 2008. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  8. 1 2 "Projet de loi de finances pour 2015 : Défense : équipement des forces" (in French). Senate of France. 20 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
  9. ↑ "La Ville d'Aix officiellement marraine de la frégate "Provence"". La Provence. 25 June 2017.
  10. ↑ "Les FREMM à pied d'œuvre au Moyen-Orient". Mer et Marine. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
  11. ↑ "Combined Task Force 150 : la frégate Provence réalise une importante saisie d'armes au large de la Somalie". defense.gouv.fr (in French). 24 March 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  12. ↑ Manaranche, Martin (31 May 2022). "Feedback On French Navy High Intensity Exercise POLARIS". Naval News. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  13. ↑ "FS Provence Strengthens Bilateral Relationship with Croatian Navy". Seawaves. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
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