According to a PR published by Naval Group on February 23, 2022, the French company started the first sea trials of the FREMM DA Lorraine, an important step before the frigate's delivery. For several days, the eighth FREMM to be delivered to the French Navy and second with enhanced air defense capabilities (FREMM DA), will undergo sea trials off the coast of Brittany.
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FREMM DA (Aquitaine-class) Lorraine (Picture source: Naval Group)
Ordered by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), on behalf of the French Procurement Agency (DGA) and the French Navy, the FREMM DA Lorraine is the eighth and last multi-mission frigate to be built for the French Navy. It is also the second FREMM with enhanced air defence capabilities (FREMM DA).
Two hundred and fifty people are mobilized to prepare this first sea trial. This session will enable the performance of the ship's propulsion and navigation systems to be tested. Several campaigns will then be carried out to test all the systems. FREMM DA Lorraine will then be delivered by the end of the year.
After being launched in November 2020, the first sea trial of the FREMM DA Lorraine is taking place on schedule and in accordance with the company's contractual commitment to deliver the ship in 2022. Naval Group teams and partners have been mobilized to meet this milestone despite the Covid crisis.
The FREMM program proceeds according to the schedule established by the last Military Planning Law (LPM). Seven FREMMs have already been delivered to the French Navy between 2012 and 2021. Aquitaine in 2012, Provence in 2015, Languedoc in 2016, Auvergne in April 2017, Bretagne in July 2018, Normandie in July 2019 and Alsace in April 2021. Internationally, the Mohammed VI was delivered to Morocco in 2014 and the Tahya Misr was delivered to Egypt in 2015.
As a result of this operational feedback, the FREMM DA Lorraine benefits from the deployment of new functions: enhanced cyber capabilities, deployment of Liaison 22 (NATO’s secure digital radio system), reduced width mast, replacement of the optronic artillery fire control by a radar/optronic fire control, or the integration of a tactical table.
The FREMM DA uses the most advanced weapons systems and equipment, such as the Herakles multifunction radar, the Aster 15 and 30 and Exocet MM 40 missiles and the MU 90 torpedoes.
Like the other units of the FREMM series, she carries the NH90 helicopter (Caïman Marine), whose use is supported by the SAMAHE® system supplied by Naval Group.
The ships also incorporate Sylver A50 vertical launch systems permitting them to carry both MBDA Aster 15 and/or 30 surface-to-air missiles. On the two AAW variants, the Sylver A70 launch systems (used for land-attack cruise missiles on the ASW variants) are removed to provide space for fitting double the number of A50 cells for Aster SAMs.
