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French Navy (2023)


Current Active Inventory: 65 Fleet Units


France National Flag Graphic
Like Britain, the French Navy maintains a modern, multi-role force covering airpower, surface combatants, and undersea boats. The aircraft carrier fleet is limited to just one vessel (Charles de Gaulle) but these provide the necessary systems to operate the impressive Rafale fighter. The undersea fleet is comprised of ten total boats with more to come, breathing life to an aging group. The destroyer force has seen a nice modernization through the Aquitane-class as the Floreal-class moves to age out of service. Up to seventeen vessels make up the mine warfare fleet, which is considerable considering France's shorelines along European waters. Similarly, the OPV force comprises some fourteen vessels, some new, some old but overall capable. The French Navy has a strong future focus on addressing an aging nuclear-attack submarine fleet, frigate firepower, and Offshore Patrol capabilities. In addition to this, there is an initiative to give the service a new, all-modern nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to takeover duties of the aging Charles de Gaulle, though this program remains in its infancy. Nevertheless, the service retains an overall positive outlook.

The following represents an overview of the modern naval fighting capabilities of the French Navy (2023). The service currently counts 65 total units in its active naval inventory. This total includes frontline commissioned vessels but excludes smaller patrol vessels, auxiliary / survey ships, replenishment, and historical ceremonial types. The WDMMW review takes into account specific categories of warships covering attack, defense, and general support designs. Inventory numbers and related unit types are provided as-is and derived from publically-available information / sources. "On Order" totals found at the bottom of this article are related to any future hulls currently under procurement/construction though said hulls may not be delivered for service in the current year for various reasons.

Updated: 01/27/2023 | © www.WDMMW.org




Total Hulls: 65

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TvR
92.9
TrueValue Rating takes incorporates strengths/weaknesses matched against the highest-rated service ( USN (323.9).
Global Rank
8 /37
Global Rank as compared to national powers of WDMMW. 37 total naval services from 37 nations are tracked. View Current Ranks.
Force Concentration

Carriers: 1 units
Submarines: 9 units
Fleet Core: 52 units
Amphib Asslt: 3 units
Force Balance

AVERAGE

Fleet covers basic operating requirements by addressing primary categories.

Suppliers


National flag of France
Hull Prefix
"FS"
Established
1624
(399 yrs ago)
as the "French Navy"
Median Hull Age
23.0
Years
Hull Age Visualization

Unit Age Color Key




0 to 15yrs

16 to 25yrs

26 to 30yrs

>30yrs


Aircraft Carriers (1)


Hulls defined as those designed primarily to launch, retreive, and maintain fixed-wing and/or rotary-wing aircraft; nuclear- or conventionally-powered.

OUTLOOK
STABLE
 
22yrs
Charles de Gaulle
R91
Charles de Gaulle

Total Units: 1 (2%)


NOTES: Charles de Gaulle is set to be succeeded by the results of the Future French Aircraft Carrier project with a single planned vessel to the class. It will displace in the 75,000 tonne range and feature a pair of pressurized water reactors for propsulsion.




Submarines (9)


Hulls developed for undersea/submersible operation; nuclear-powered or conventionally-powered.

OUTLOOK
POSITIVE
 
36yrs
Casablanca
S603
Rubis-class
35yrs
Emeraude
S604
Rubis-class
31yrs
Amethyste
S605
Rubis-class
30yrs
Perle
S606
Rubis-class
3yrs
Suffren
Q284
Barracuda-class
26yrs
Triomphant
S616
Triomphant-class
24yrs
Temeraire
S617
Triomphant-class
19yrs
Vigilant
S618
Triomphant-class
13yrs
Terrible
S619
Triomphant-class

Total Units: 9 (14%)


NOTES: The aging submarine force will be strengthened by the arrival of five additional nuclear-attack subs from the Barracuda-class.




Destroyers (21)


Multi-mission hulls developed for Blue Water environment; operating independently or as part of the main surface fleet.

OUTLOOK
POSITIVE
 
15yrs
Forbin
D620
Horizon-class
14yrs
Chevalier Paul
D621
Horizon-class
2yrs
Alsace
D656
Aquitane-class
11yrs
Aquitane
D650
Aquitane-class
3yrs
Normandie
D651
Aquitane-class
8yrs
Provence
D652
Aquitane-class
6yrs
Languedoc
D653
Aquitane-class
5yrs
Auvergne
D654
Aquitane-class
4yrs
Bretagne
D655
Aquitane-class
32yrs
Latouche-Treville
D615
Georges Leygues-class
27yrs
La Fayette
F710
Lafayette-class
26yrs
Surcouf
F711
Lafayette-class
26yrs
Courbet
F712
Lafayette-class
24yrs
Aconit
F713
Lafayette-class
22yrs
Guepratte
F714
Lafayette-class
31yrs
Floreal
F730
Floreal-class
31yrs
Prairial
F731
Floreal-class
31yrs
Nivose
F732
Floreal-class
30yrs
Ventose
F733
Floreal-class
30yrs
Vendemiaire
F734
Floreal-class
29yrs
Germinal
F735
Floreal-class

Total Units: 21 (32%)


NOTES: FS Latouche-Treville (D615) is set to be decommissioned in 2022.




Mine Warfare (17)


Hulls outfitted for the purpose of mine countermeasures/countermine warfare.

OUTLOOK
POSITIVE
 
39yrs
Cassiopee
M642
Eridan-class
39yrs
Andromede
M643
Eridan-class
38yrs
Pegase
M644
Eridan-class
37yrs
Orion
M645
Eridan-class
37yrs
Croix du Sud
M646
Eridan-class
36yrs
Aigle
M647
Eridan-class
36yrs
Lyre
M648
Eridan-class
36yrs
Cephee
M652
Eridan-class
36yrs
Capricorne
M653
Eridan-class
27yrs
Sagittaire
M650
Eridan-class
37yrs
Vulcain
M611
Vulcain-class
37yrs
Pluton
M622
Vulcain-class
36yrs
Styx
A614
Vulcain-class
36yrs
Acheron
A613
Vulcain-class
30yrs
Antares
M770
Vulcain-class
30yrs
Altair
M771
Vulcain-class
29yrs
Aldebaran
M772
Vulcain-class

Total Units: 17 (26%)




Offshore Patrol Vessels (14)


Hulls defined as OPVs and outfitted for the purpose of close-to-shore defense / deterrence.

OUTLOOK
POSITIVE
 
7yrs
D'Entrecasteaux
A621
D'Entrecasteaux-class
7yrs
Bogainville
A622
D'Entrecasteaux-class
6yrs
Champlain
A623
D'Entrecasteaux-class
3yrs
Dumont d'Urville
A624
D'Entrecasteaux-class
42yrs
Premier-M L'Her
F792
D'Estienne d'Orves-class
41yrs
Comdt Blaison
F793
D'Estienne d'Orves-class
41yrs
E.de V. Jacoubet
F794
D'Estienne d'Orves-class
40yrs
Comdt Ducuing
F795
D'Estienne d'Orves-class
39yrs
Commandant Birot
F796
D'Estienne d'Orves-class
39yrs
Comdt Bouan
F797
D'Estienne d'Orves-class
6yrs
La Confiance
P733
La Confiance-class
6yrs
La Resolue
P734
La Confiance-class
3yrs
La Combattante
P735
La Confiance-class
38yrs
La Glorieuse
P686
L'Audacieuse-class

Total Units: 14 (22%)


NOTES: Up to six Patrouilleur d'Outre-Mer (POM) patrol vessels are to be added beginning in 2023, succeeding the L'Audacious-class. Similarly, the new ocean-going Patrouilleurs Oceanique (PO) will take over duties of the D'Estienne d'Orves-class boats.




Amphibious Assault (3)


Hulls designed specifically for the support of amphibious-minded, offshore / close-to-shore operations.

OUTLOOK
STABLE
 
17yrs
Mistral
L9013
Mistral-class
17yrs
Tonnere
L9014
Mistral-class
11yrs
Dixmude
L9015
Mistral-class

Total Units: 3 (5%)


NOTES: Five total Mistral vessels have been built - two for the Egyptian Navy.




On Order (16)


Hulls set to be delivered in the current procurement year or in subsequent year(s).

Duguay-Trouin
Nuclear Attack Sub
De Grasse
Nuclear Attack Sub
Tourville
Nuclear Attack Sub
Rubis
Nuclear Attack Sub
Casablanca
Nuclear Attack Sub
Amiral Ronarc'h
Frigate
Amiral Louzeau
Frigate
Amiral Castex
Frigate
Amiral Nomy
Frigate
Amiral Cabanier
Frigate
Unnamed Ship
OPV
Unnamed Ship
OPV
Unnamed Ship
OPV
Unnamed Ship
OPV
Unnamed Ship
OPV
Unnamed Ship
OPV

Total Units: 16


On Order Commitment: 16 Units


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