According to a tweet published by Catherine Corm-Kammoun on April 26, 2023, the French FREMM frigate Lorraine arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from Port Sudan with 398 civilians.
Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link
French FREMM frigate Lorraine at Jeddah. (Picture source: Catherine Corm-Kammoun)
The 2023 Sudan conflict has been a source of concern for foreign governments, who are closely monitoring the situation and taking steps to ensure the safety of their citizens. In particular, the outbreak of violence has prompted the evacuation and repatriation of foreign nationals from the country.
398 people were evacuated from Sudan, including five French people and nationals of more than 50 countries. The countries involved in the operation included the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Sweden.
About the frigate Lorraine
The Aquitaine-class frigate is a type of naval vessel with a displacement of 6,000+ tons. She measures 466 ft (142.0 m) in length, 65 ft (19.8 m) in beam, and has a draught of 16 ft (4.9 m).
The frigate is powered by an MTU Series 4000 (2.2 MW) engine and a CODLOG system, which enables it to reach a top speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) and a max cruise speed of 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph). She has a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The vessel has a complement of 145+ crew members.
The Aquitaine-class frigate is equipped with various sensors and processing systems, including the Héraklès multi-purpose passive electronically scanned array radar, the Thales STIR EO MK 2 fire control radar, the CAPTAS-4 towed-array sonar, and the UMS 4110 CL hull-mounted sonar.
Her armament includes a 76 mm Super Rapid gun, three 20 mm Narwhal remote weapon systems, a 32-cell SYLVER A50 VLS for Aster 15 and Aster 30 air defense missiles, eight Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles (with the Block 3c variant entering service with the French Navy from December 2022), and two B-515 twin launchers for MU90 torpedoes. The frigate is capable of carrying one NH90 helicopter and has a single hangar for aviation facilities.
