France set to receive third FREMM on 16 March

[Zarvan]

Languedoc, the third FREMM frigate for the French Navy, is scheduled to be delivered on 16 March. (DCNS)
French shipbuilder DCNS will deliver France's third Aquitaine-class FREMM (Frégate Européenne Multi-Mission) frigate on 16 March, a company's spokesperson told IHS Jane's on 10 March.

Languedoc (D653) will be delivered to the European defence procurement body Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) on behalf of the French procurement agency (DGA) at the French Navy's Toulon Naval Base in southern France.

The ship was launched at DCNS's Lorient shipyard, western France, in July 2015; sea trials commenced in October. Languedoc sailed for Toulon in mid-February 2016, where final trials were held.

Languedoc follows lead ship Aquitaine (D650), which was delivered in November 2012, and Provence (D652), which was delivered in June 2015. Languedoc is the first FREMM to be based in Toulon.

Of the planned eight-ship FREMM programme, three anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variants are in build. These ships - Auvergne , Bretagne , and Normandie - are scheduled for delivery in 2017, 2018, and 2019 respectively, the company spokesperson told IHS Jane's . Ship six, Normandie , has taken the name of the second unit built for France, which subsequently was sold to Egypt.

France's programme will deliver by 2022 six ASW ships to replace its F 70 and F 67 ships, and two anti-air warfare ships to replace F 70 ships Cassard (D614) and Jean Bart (D615).

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France set to receive third FREMM on 16 March | IHS Jane's 360