Tag Archives: BRF

Navy

Jacques Chevallier

On the night of March 18 to 19, 2023, the Jacques Chevallier, the first of the four force supply vessels (BRF) of the «Logistics Fleet» program (FlotLog) intended for the French Navy, left its construction port of Saint-Nazaire in order to begin a new phase of sea trials before heading to her future home port in Toulon.

FS Jacques Chevallier (A725)
The first force supply ship (BRF) of the FlotLog program leaves Saint-Nazaire to reach its home port

After being put on hold in December 2021, being floated in April 2022 and the ceremony for the first raising of colors on March 3, 2023, the BRF Jacques Chevallier has taken a new step by leaving its builder port before being received by the Organization Joint Armaments Cooperation (OCCAR), on behalf of the General Armaments Directorate (DGA), and its delivery to the French Navy in the summer of 2023.

The conduct of the ship will now be entrusted to a crew from the French Navy. In the short term, the ship will sail to Toulon, its future home port, where it will arrive at the end of March. This sea trial campaign is dedicated to the refueling system at sea (supplied by Chantiers de l’Atlantique), and the combat and communication system (supplied by Naval Group).

The construction of the second BRF, Jacques Stosskopf, will begin in Saint-Nazaire in about a year, for delivery in 2025.

Laurent Castaing, Managing Director of Chantiers de l’Atlantique declared: «We are delighted with the excellent result obtained thanks to the good cooperation of our teams and those of our various partners. We will now continue this quality collaboration until the delivery of the ship in July in Toulon».

Laurent Castaing praised the excellent result obtained thanks to the commitment of the teams and the good collaboration between the manufacturers, the DGA and the OCCAR.

«The FlotLog program is a great story of cooperation between European partners but also between industrial partners. The departure of the ship for its home port is an important milestone for the DGA, the French Navy, the Chantiers de l’Atlantique, Naval Group and all our industrial partners. We are proud to be part of this European program and remain fully committed to providing the DGA and the French Navy with the best expertise in the civil and military sectors in the construction of high-tonnage vessels», underlines Olivier de la Bourdonnaye, Buildings Director of surface of Naval Group.

 

A multi-purpose vessel resulting from a strategic European industrial partnership serving the French Navy

As a reminder, the BRF Jacques Chevallier is the first of a series of four ships intended for the French Navy, the order of which was notified in January 2019 to the Momentary Group of Companies formed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group. The FlotLog program is part of a Franco-Italian cooperation led by OCCAR on behalf of the DGA and its Italian counterpart Naval Weaponry Direction (NAVARM).

Through their alliance, Naval Group and Chantiers de l’Atlantique combine and leverage their skills in order to offer the best of each of the two companies in the construction of ships of more than 8,000 tons, in the service of the French Navy.

Equipped with a self-defence capability, the new series of BRFs is intended to replace the current tankers, with increased capacities and modern equipment in order to fully ensure the specific support missions of the carrier battle group, formed around the Charles de Gaulle aircraft, as well as any French or allied naval action group.

Chantiers de l’Atlantique is responsible for all of the design and construction of the four vessels and is responsible for the integration and assembly of on-board systems. Naval Group is responsible for designing, developing and integrating the ship’s military systems, including the combat system, the systems contributing to the reception capacity of aircraft and the loading of ammunition and the centralized control system for the installations of the platform. The combat system of the four buildings allows the ships to deploy independently to their area of operations, to provide protection against close threats and to lead the fight against asymmetric threats.

 

Technical characteristics

Full load displacement 31,000 tonnes
Overall length 194 m/636.5 feet
Overall width 27.6 m/90.5 feet
Accommodation 190 people, including 130 crew members, an aeronautical detachment of 10 people, and 50 passengers
Fuel carrying capacity 13,000 m3
Total installed power 24 MW

 

Navy

Jacques Chevallier

On 29 April, the first of the four force replenishment vessels BRF (Bâtiments Ravitailleurs de Force in French) of the FlotLog program was launched in Saint-Nazaire.

Jacques Chevallier (A725)
Launching of the Jacques Chevallier (A725), first Replenishment Vessel for the French Navy

The Bâtiment Ravitailleur de Forces Jacques Chevallier (A725) is the first of a series of four ships intended for the French Navy. The contract was awarded in January 2019 to Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group. The four vessels will be delivered successively until 2029.

The FlotLog program is part of a Franco-Italian cooperation led by Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement (OCCAR) on behalf of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) and its Italian counterpart Naval Armament Directorate (NAVARM), within the Logistic Support Ship (LSS) program.

The BRF Jacques Chevallier (A725) was launched on 29 April in Saint-Nazaire. The ceremony took place in the presence of Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, Pierre Éric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group, Matteo Bisceglia, Director of OCCAR, François Pintart, Director of Operations of DGA and Admiral Xavier Baudouard, Commander of the French Naval Action Force.

Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique said: «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».

«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. It is also a new successful cooperation between Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group, which combine their skills in order to offer the DGA and the French Navy the best expertise in the civil and military sectors in the construction of ships of heavy tonnages», added Pierre Éric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group.

The first sea trials will start in the second half of 2022, with delivery of the first unit scheduled for the first half of 2023.

 

A strategic industrial partnership serving the French Navy

The design and construction of the four ships of the FlotLog program is the result of a successful industrial cooperation between Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group, driven by OCCAR, in close collaboration with the DGA and the French Navy.

Chantiers de l’Atlantique carries out the global design and the construction of the four ships, and ensures the integration and the implementation of the embedded systems. Naval Group is responsible for the design, development and integration of the combat system and the systems destined to receive aircraft and to embark ammunition.

The BRFs, which will replace the French Navy’s Durance-class ships, have a mission of logistical support of the combat vessels of the French Navy deployed as part of the naval air group or naval task groups. With a capacity of 13,000 m3, they carry fuel, ammunition, spare parts, as well as food for the vessels. These tankers will also participate to support missions for inter-allied operations, underlining the need for interoperable equipment. As a true link in the fleet, these tankers will enable France to continue to have an ocean-going navy, capable of conducting long-term operations far from the national territory and thus maintaining its strategic autonomy.

This new series of the logistics fleet is equipped with self-defence capacities. The combat system of the four ships, whose architecture is based on Naval Group’s Combat Management System, ensures the protection against close threats and the fight against asymmetric surface and air threats.

In line with international standards, the BRFs will replace the current tankers with increased capabilities and modern equipment in order to support the aviation group constituted around the aircraft-carrier.

The Jacques Chevallier (A725), named after the naval engineer and father of French nuclear propulsion, will carry up to 31,000 tons at full load, making it the second heaviest ship in the French Navy, after the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. It will be based in Toulon.

 

Main Characteristics of the vessels

Full loaded displacement 31,000 tons
Overall length 194 m/636.5 feet
Overall width 27.60 m/90.5 feet
Crew capacity 190 people, including 130 crew members and 60 passengers
Total deadweight 14,870 tons
Freight volume 13,000 m3
Total installed capacity 24 MW

 

Navy

Replenishment Vessel

The first steel plate of the hull of the first of the four new Bâtiments Ravitailleurs de Force (BRF) – replenishment vessels – of the French Navy has been cut on May 18, 2020 during a ceremony held in the machining workshop of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, in presence of Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, and Admiral Prazuck, Chief of French Navy. This ceremony marked symbolically the start of the construction of the first vessel of the Flotte logistique (FLOTLOG) program.

The construction of the first new replenishment vessel for the French Navy starts at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, in cooperation with Naval Group

The order for the construction of the four ships was notified in January 2019 to the temporary association of companies formed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group. Deliveries are scheduled from end 2022 to 2029. This order for the French Navy is part of a Franco-Italian program led by Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’ARmement (OCCAR), on behalf of Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), the French Defence Procurement Agency, and its Italian counterpart Naval Armaments Directorate (NAVARM).

The BRF with a capacity of 13,000 m3 have a mission of logistical support of the combat vessels of the French Navy. They carry fuel, ammunition, spare parts, as well as food for the vessels.

Compliant with international standards, their characteristics are adapted to their specific missions of support to the aviation group constituted around the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, flagship of the naval air force group.

Chantiers de l’Atlantique carries out the global design and the construction of the four ships, and ensures the integration and the implementation of the embedded systems.

«We are at the very start of a new industrial story, which will feature once again our know how in design, building and integration of cutting edge technologies», states Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique. «This is also an excellent opportunity to demonstrate our complementarity of our businesses with those of our partner Naval Group».

Naval Group is responsible for the design, development and integration of the military systems of the platform. The combat system of the four ships, whose architecture is based on the Polaris Combat Management System of Naval Group, ensures the protection against close threats and the fight against asymmetric threats.

«Naval Group is proud to stand once again by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in the frame of this European program. This cooperation brings together the best civilian and naval expertise and will benefit our customers both on economic and operational aspects», highlights Pierre-Eric Pommelet, Naval Group CEO.

 

Main Characteristics of the vessels

Full loaded displacement 31,000 tonnes
Overall length 194 m/636.5 feet
Overall width 27.60 m/90.5 feet
Crew capacity 190 people, including 130 crew members and 60 passengers
Total deadweight 14,870 tonnes
Freight volume 13,000 m3
Total installed capacity 24 MW