| Bâtiment ravitailleur de forces | |
|---|---|
| BRF-illustration 001.jpg CGI of the Bâtiment ravitailleur de forces | |
| Class overview | |
| Name: | Jacques Chevallier-class |
| Builders: | Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Fincantieri |
| Operators: |
 French Navy |
| Preceded by: | Durance-class tanker |
| In commission: | 2023- (expected) |
| Building: | 2 |
| Planned: | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Replenishment ship |
| Displacement: | 31,000 t (full load) |
| Length: | 194 m (636 ft) |
| Beam: | 27.4 m (90 ft) |
| Draught: | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Speed: |
|
| Range: | 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
| Endurance: | 30 days |
The bâtiments ravitailleurs de forces, or BRF, are a class of future fleet tankers that are to replace the Durance-class units in French Navy service. Until January 2019, the programme was known as Flotte logistique (abbreviated FLOTLOG in military parlance).[1] Delivery of the first unit of the series had been expected in late 2022. However, in 2021 it was indicated that the delivery date for the first ship had slipped to 2023.
History[]
Replacement for the Durance type has been considered since 2009, with the military procurement law for years 2009–2014. At the time, the concept was knows as "flotte logistique" ("logistical fleet", or FLOTLOG). The succession was envisioned to take place between 2017 and 2020. The replacement was motivated both by the age of the Durance hulls, and by their non-conformity with current safety standards, notably the lack of a double hull. From 2010, Naval Group (the still named DCNS) proposed a project named BRAVE.[2] This project was carried over to the following procurement law (2014 to 2019), delaying the order of the first unit to 2019. However, after STX France was purchased by Fincantieri, the project by Naval Group was abandoned and it was decided to base the new concept on the Italian fleet tanker Vulcano, then being built by Fincantieri for the Italian Navy.[3] The FLOTLOG programme was further confirmed in the new military procurement law.
On 30 January 2019, OCCAR ordered four units from Chantiers de l'Atlantique and Naval Group for the French Navy.[4]
The Bâtiment ravitailleur de forces in planned French Navy of the late 2030s, conducting simultaneous underway replenishment with the Future French aircraft carrier (PA-Ng) nuclear aircraft carrier and with a Frégate de défense et d'intervention
.
Construction[]
The four units of the class are to be constructed in Saint-Nazaire, at Chantiers de l'Atlantique. Building of the first ship was initially planned for early 2020 for delivery in 2022, with the three further ships being delivered from 2013 through 2029. In 2021, it was indicated that delivery of the first ship had slipped to 2023.[5] The steel cutting ceremony for the first ship took place on 18 May 2020.[6]
When completed, these ships will be among the largest units of the French Navy, second only to the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
Dimensions[]
- Length : 194 m (636 ft 6 in)
- Beam : 27.4 m (89 ft 11 in)
- Draught : 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
- Displacement : 16,000 t (16,000 long tons) empty, 31,000 t (31,000 long tons) full load
- Crew : 130 crew, with up to 60 passengers
- Diesel-electric propulsion
- Capacity : 13,000 m3 (3,400,000 US gal) of fuel
Four ships are scheduled to be commissioned in the French Navy as replacement for the Durance-class tankers. On 18 May 2020, the navy published the names intended for the ships, which honour preeminent French naval engineers: Jacques Chevallier, Jacques Stosskopf, Louis-Émile Bertin and Gustave Zédé.
Defensive weapons will include the Simbad-RC system firing Mistral Mk3 surface-to-air missiles and Thales/Nexter 40mm rapid-fire guns.[7][8]
| Template:Numero | Name | Laid down | Launch | Delivery | Commissioning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A... | Jacques Chevallier | 24 December 2021[9] | 2023 | First steel cut 18 May 2020 Hull built at Fincantieri, Castellammare di Stabiar[10] | ||
| A... | Jacques Stosskopf | 2025 | First steel cut, February 2022.[11] | |||
| A... | Émile Bertin | 2027 | ||||
| A... | Gustave Zédé | 2029 |
See also[]
Citations[]
- ↑ Groizeleau, Vincent (16 January 2019). "La Marine nationale change les appellations de nombreux bâtiments" (in fr). Mer et Marine. https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/la-marine-nationale-change-les-appellations-de-nombreux-batiments.
- ↑ Groizeleau, Vincent (23 September 2010). "Brave : Le nouveau bâtiment logistique de DCNS" (in fr). Mer et Marine. https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/brave-le-nouveau-batiment-logistique-de-dcns.
- ↑ Lagneau, Laurent (1 February 2019). "Les futurs pétroliers-ravitailleurs de la Marine nationale seront de conception italienne" (in fr). Opex 360. http://www.opex360.com/2018/02/01/futurs-petroliers-ravitailleurs-de-marine-nationale-seront-de-conception-italienne.
- ↑ Groizeleau, Vincent (1 February 2019). "Gros plan sur les futurs ravitailleurs de la marine française" (in fr). Mer et Marine. https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/gros-plan-sur-les-futurs-ravitailleurs-de-la-marine-francaise.
- ↑ Groizeleau, Vincent (14 April 2021). "Marine nationale : le BRF Jacques Chevallier sera livré en 2023" (in fr). Mer et Marine. https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/le-brf-jacques-chevallier-sera-livre-en-2023.
- ↑ "Saint-Nazaire. La ministre Florence Parly aux Chantiers de l'Atlantique" (in fr). 18 May 2020. https://www.ouest-france.fr/economie/chantiers-navals/saint-nazaire-la-ministre-florence-parly-aux-chantiers-de-l-atlantique-6838841.
- ↑ https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/02/fincantieri-cuts-steel-for-french-navy-second-logistic-support-ship/
- ↑ https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/les-batiments-ravitailleurs-de-forces-seront-equipes-de-simbad-rc
- ↑ https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/12/low-key-keel-laying-for-french-navys-new-class-of-logistic-support-ship/
- ↑ "BRF : la section italienne du Jacques Chevallier est arrivée à Saint-Nazaire" (in fr). 2021-12-16. https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/brf-la-section-italienne-du-jacques-chevallier-est-arrivee-saint-nazaire.
- ↑ https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/02/fincantieri-cuts-steel-for-french-navy-second-logistic-support-ship/
External links[]
- "Marine nationale : de FLOT-LOG aux BRF (2009 – 2020)". 18 May 2020. https://lefauteuildecolbert.blogspot.com/2020/05/marine-nationale-de-flot-log-aux-brf.html.
The original article can be found at Bâtiment ravitailleur de forces and the edit history here.