| French frigate Germinal (F735) | |
|---|---|
 Frigate Germinal | |
| Career (France) |  |
| Name: | Germinal |
| Namesake: | Month of Germinal |
| Ordered: | 1989 |
| Builder: | Chantiers de l'Atlantique |
| Laid down: | 17 August 1992 |
| Launched: | 14 March 1993 |
| Commissioned: | 17 May 1994 |
| Homeport: | Fort-de-France, Martinique |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Floréal-class frigate |
| Displacement: | 2600 tonnes (2950 tonnes full load) |
| Length: | 93,50 m |
| Beam: | 14 m |
| Draught: | 4,40 m |
| Propulsion: |
Engines : 4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 6PA6 L280 |
| Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Range: |
10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) 13,000 nautical miles (24,000 km; 15,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Boats & landing craft carried: |
ETN 90 (Embarcation de Transport en Nombre) |
| Complement: |
11 officers |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
Radar:
Navigation
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys: |
ARBG-1A Saïgon |
| Armament: |
2 Exocet MM38 missiles |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 Panther helicopter |
The Germinal is a light monitoring frigate ("frégate de surveillance") of the French Marine Nationale. She is the sixth and last ship of her class, and the first French vessel named after Germinal, the 7th month of the Republican Calendar.
Her main mission is monitoring traffic in the Northern Sea and respond to ecological emergiencies.
In April 2012, Germinal was in New Orleans, LA for the Navy Week celebrations commemorating the War of 1812. Docked at the Esplanade Avenue wharf near two US Navy vessels, she was open for public tours.
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