Marine nationale - Definition and Overview

The French Navy (Marine Nationale) is the second-largest Western European navy (the largest being the Royal Navy). It operates a full range of vessels, from patrol boats to guided missile frigates, one aircraft carrier (at present) and strategic missile submarines (SSBNs).

Normally a two carrier force, the current Navy aircraft carrier is named Charles de Gaulle.

The Navy also comprises Naval fusiliers (ground forces, used to secure naval installations) and Naval commandos (amphibious assault and other special operations), collectively known as FUSCO.

History

[Yet to be written]

The French navy is affectionously known as La Royale (the "Royal"), for its supposed attachement to the monarchy; it is to be noted that some of the greatest heroes of the First Republic were in the French Navy (Casabianca, Muriène, the Redoutable).

The motto of the French navy is "Honneur, Patrie, Valeur, Discipline" ("Honour, Country, Valour, Discipline").

Current ships of the French Navy

Aircraft carriers

• Charles de Gaulle
• Planned: Second aircraft carrier
• Jeanne d'Arc (normally used for training)

Frigates

• Forbin (Horizon) class - 2 ships planned
  • D??? Forbin
  • D??? Chevalier Paul

• La Fayette class - 5 ships
  • F710 La Fayette
  • F711 Surcouf
  • F712 Courbet
  • F713 Aconit
  • F714 Guépratte
• Cassard class - 2 ships
  • D614 Cassard
  • D615 Jean Bart
• Tourville class (F67 type) - 3 ships
  • D610 Tourville
  • D611 Duguay-Trouin (decommissioned in 1999)
  • D612 De Grasse
• Suffren class - 2 ships
  • D602 Suffren (decomissioned in 2001)
  • D603 Duquesne
• Georges Leygues class (F70 type) - 7 ships
  • D640 Georges Leygues
  • D641 Dupleix
  • D642 Montcalm
  • D643 Jean de Vienne
  • D644 Primauguet
  • D645 La Motte Picquet
  • D646 Latouche-Tréville
• Floréal class - 6 ships
  • F730 Floréal
  • F731 Prairial
  • F732 Nivôse
  • F733 Ventôse
  • F734 Vendémiaire
  • F735 Germinal

Avisos

• D'Estienne d'Orves A69 class - 9 ship (plus 8 decommissioned ships)
  • F781 D'Estienne d'Orves (decomissioned in 1999)
  • F782 Amyot d'Inville(decomissioned in 1999)
  • F783 Drogou(decomissioned in 2000)
  • F784 Détroyat(decomissioned in 1997)
  • F785 Jean Moulin(decomissioned in 1999)
  • F786 Quartier-Maître Anquetil(decomissioned in 2000)
  • F787 Commandant de Pimodan(decomissioned in 2000)
  • F788 Second-Maître Le Bihan
  • F789 Lieutenant de vaisseau Le Hénaff
  • F790 Lieutenant de vaisseau Lavallée
  • F791 Commandant L'Herminier
  • F792 Premier-Maître L'Her
  • F793 Commandant Blaison
  • F794 Enseigne de vaisseau Jacoubet
  • F795 Commandant Ducuing
  • F796 Commandant Birot
  • F797 Commandant Bouan
• Albatros (only ship of her class)
• L'Audacieuse class - 10 ships
  • P682 L'Audacieuse
  • P683 La Boudeuse
  • P684 La Capricieuse
  • P685 La Fougueuse
  • P686 La Glorieuse
  • P687 La Gracieuse
  • P688 La Moqueuse
  • P689 La Railleuse
  • P690 La Rieuse
  • P691 La Tapageuse
• Sterne (only ship of her class)
• Grebe (Espadon 50 type; only ship of her class)
• Flamant class - 3 ships
  • P676 Flamant
  • P677 Cormoran
  • P678 Pluvier

Submarines

SNLE (SSBN)

• Le Redoutable class - 1 ships
  • S611 Le Redoutable (decommissioned in 1991)
  • S612 Le Terrible (decommissioned in 1996)
  • S610 Le Foudroyant (decommissioned in 1998)
  • S613 L'Indomptable (decommissioned in 2003)
  • S614 Le Tonnant (decommissioned in 1991)
  • S615 L'Inflexible
• Le Triomphant class - 3 ships
  • S616 Le Triomphant
  • S617 Le Téméraire
  • S618 Le Vigilant
  • S619 Le Terrible (to be commissioned in 2008)

SNA (Nuclear attack submarines)

• Rubis class - 6 ships
  • S601 Rubis (ex Provence)
  • S602 Saphir (ex Bretagne)
  • S603 Casabianca (ex Bourgogne)
  • S604 Emeraude
  • S605 Améthyste
  • S606 Perle
  • S607 Turquoise (canceled)
  • S608 Diamant (canceled)

Patrol Ships

• Aramis class - 2 ships
  • A712 Athos
  • A713 Aramis

Landing Platform Dock (LPD)

• Ouragan class - 2 ships
• Foudre class - 2 ships
• Mistral class - 2 ships planned
• Champlain class - 5 ships
• Sabre

Mine Sweepers

• Eridan class - 13 ships
• Achéron class - 4 ships

High Sea Tugs

• Abeille Flandre class - 6 ships
• Estérel class - 2 ships
• Malabar class - 3 ships
• Actif class - 1 ship remaining in service as of 2004

Trial Ships

• Monge
• Denti
• Thétis

Intelligence and Oceanography

• Dupuy de Lôme
• Beautemps-Beaupré
• Lapérouse class - 4 ships
• Coralline
• Laplace
• Bougainville

Support ships

• Jules Verne - mobile mechanics
• Durance class command and support - 4 ships
  • A629 Durance (sold to Argentina in 1999)
  • A607 Meuse
  • A608 Var
  • A630 Marne
  • A631 Somme
• Chamois class - 7 ships
• Gapeau

Training

• Jeanne d'Arc
• Belle Poule (sail ship)
• Etoile (sail ship)
• Mutin (sail ship)
• La Grande Hermine (sail ship)
• Poseïdon (diver training)
• Léopard class - 8 ships
• D'Entrecasteaux
• Glycine class - 8 ships

External links

• Official site (http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine)