French frigate Lorraine

Lorraine (D657) is an Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy which were developed through the FREMM multipurpose frigate program.[2] She is the second of two air-defence variants of the class known as FREMM DA (Frégate Européenne Multimissions de Défense Aérienne) in the program.

FREMM multipurpose frigate
History
France
Name: Lorraine
Namesake: Lorraine
Ordered: 2008
Builder: DCNS, Lorient
Laid down: 15 May 2019
Launched: 13 November 2020
Commissioned: Expected 2022
Homeport: Toulon
Identification: Pennant number: D657
Status: Fitting out
General characteristics
Class and type: Aquitaine-class frigate
Displacement: 6,000 tons
Length: 466 ft (142.0 m)
Beam: 65 ft (19.8 m)
Draught: 16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion:
  • MTU Series 4000 (2.2 MW)
  • CODLOG
Speed: 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph); max cruise speed 15.6 knots (28.9 km/h; 18.0 mph)
Range: 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement: 145
Sensors and
processing systems:
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 × NH90 helicopter
Aviation facilities: Single hangar

Development and design

Original plans were for 17 FREMM hulls to replace the nine D'Estienne d'Orves-class avisos and nine anti-submarine (ASW) frigates of the Tourville and Georges Leygues classes. In November 2005 France announced a contract of €3.5 billion for development and the first eight hulls, with options for nine more costing €2.95 billion split over two tranches (totaling 17).

Following the cancellation of the third and fourth of the Horizon-class frigates in 2005 on budget grounds, requirements for an air-defence derivative of the FREMM called FREDA were placed – with DCNS coming up with several proposals.[3] Expectations were that the last two ships of the 17 FREMM planned would be built to FREDA specifications; however, by 2008 the plan was revised down to just 11 FREMM (9 ASW variants and 2 FREDA variants) at a cost of €8.75 billion (FY13, ~US$12 billion).[4] The 11 ships would cost €670 million (~US$760m) each in FY2014, or €860m (~US$980m) including development costs.[4] Subsequently, the class was further reduced to a total of eight ships, though both air defence variants were retained.

Lorraine is the second of two FREMM frigates built to FREDA specifications, alongside Alsace.[5] Lorraine and her sister ship retain most of the armaments and sensors of their ASW sister ships within the FREMM class. However, the ships have enhancements related to air defence including a more powerful Thales Herakles multi-function radar with more transmitter modules and additional wave-forms and search modes for long range air defence. The ships also incorporate Sylver A50 vertical launch systems permitting them to carry both MBDA Aster 15 and/or 30 surface-to-air missiles.[6] 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.[7][8]

Construction and career

Lorraine was developed as part of a joint Italian-French program known as FREMM, which was implemented to develop a new class of frigates for use by various European navies. Having started construction in 2019, the frigate Lorraine was launched at the Lorient shipyard on 13 November 2020.[5]

References
  1. "French Navy's First FREMM DA 'Alsace' To Start Sea Trials In Early October". navalnews.com. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  2. "Aquitaine class FREMM Frigate French Navy Marine Nationale". www.seaforces.org. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  3. "FREMM : Supprimer des frégates, un non sens économique et stratégique?". Mer et Marine (in French). 19 September 2007. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  4. "Projet de loi de finances pour 2015 : Défense : équipement des forces" (in French). Senate of France. 20 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
  5. Jaouen, Catherine (2020-11-14). "La FREMM Lorraine est dans son élément". Ouest-France (in French). Lorient. p. 10. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  6. "Photos: Naval Group Launches 'Lorraine', Its Final FREMM Frigate". navalnews.com. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  7. https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/focus-analysis/naval-technology/2879-details-on-the-freda-the-future-air-defense-fremm-frigates-of-the-french-navy.html
  8. https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/naval-exhibitions/2018/euronaval-2018/6536-french-navy-fitting-aster-30-long-range-sam-on-its-last-two-asw-fremm-frigates.html
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