According to a tweet published by the French Ministry of Armed Forces on July 22, 2021, the Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) receives two more Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), named EDO, from the company Zodiac Milipro for the French Navy.
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Rigid Inflatable Boat or EDO (Picture source: Twitter account of the French DGA)
The main characteristics of an EDO are a length of 7m, a width of 2,6 m, and a displacement full load of 3,4 tons. The boat can carry a total of 14 people including a crew and a response team. She can reach a maximum speed of 30 knots.
Tonnerre is the second of three Mistral-class LHD of the French Navy. It was launched in July 2005 and commissioned in December 2006. Designed by Naval Group, Mistral BPC (Bâtiment de Projection et de Commandment) LHD is a multi-mission 21,500t amphibious assault, command and power projection ship. Mistral-class vessels are capable to accommodate and deploy 16 transport or attack helicopters, four landing crafts, up to 70 vehicles or 13 main battle tanks. They have accommodations for 450 to 700 troops.
The Mistral-class are the first ships of the French Navy to use azimuth thrusters. The thrusters are powered by electricity from five 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 16V32 diesel alternators, and can be oriented in any angle. This propulsion technology gives the ships significant manoeuvering capabilities, as well as freeing up space normally reserved for propeller shafts.
