French frigate Forbin

Last updated
French Frigate Forbin participates in Formidable Shield 2021 - 6665647.jpg
Forbin on 21 May 2021
History
Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svgFrance
NameForbin
Namesake Claude Forbin-Gardanne
Ordered27 October 2000
Builder DCNS and Thales Group, Lorient shipyard
CostUSD$770 million [1]
Laid down16 January 2004
Launched10 March 2005
Christened2008
Commissioned14 October 2010
Homeport Toulon
Identification
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class and type Horizon-class frigate
Displacement7,050  tonnes   [2]
Length152.87 m (501 ft 7 in)
Beam20.3 m (66 ft 7 in)
Draught5.4 m (17 ft 9 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 × 23,330  kW (31,280  hp) GE/Avio LM2500 gas turbines
  • 2 × 4,381 kW (5,875 hp) SEMT Pielstick 12 PA6 STC diesels
  • 1 × beam propeller
  • 2 × 4-blade propellers
Speed
  • 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph)
  • 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) on diesels
Range
  • 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
  • 3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried
EDO, 20-seat EFRC, Hurricane 733
Capacity32 passengers or admiral's staff
Complement
  • 26 officers
  • 110 petty officers
  • 38 sailors
Sensors and
processing systems
  • S-1850 LRR tri-dimensional sentry radar with IFF
  • ABF TUS 4110 CL hull sonar
  • Towed linear antenna with Alto torpedo detector
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • Radar jammer
  • Communication jammer
  • NGDS system (2 decoy launchers, REM, RIR, LAD)
  • Contralto system (2 acoustic decoy launchers)
  • PAAMS EMPAR multifunction radar on G band
Armament
Aircraft carried1 × NH90 helicopter

Forbin (D620) is a large anti-air frigate [5] of the French Navy, lead ship of the Horizonclass. Her first task is protecting aircraft carriers, capital ships or civilian ships from supersonic missile attacks; her complement of medium-range anti-air missiles allows her to support the defences of another ship under attack and avoid their saturation. She is also capable of monitoring and controlling operations carried out from the sea by friendly aircraft. [6] Forbin is the sixth vessel of the French Navy named after the 17th century admiral Claude Forbin-Gardanne.

Contents

Operations

Building and fitting out

Construction of Forbin began in Lorient on 8 April 2002. The hull was built in 14 sections by a variety of subcontractors of DCN, including several companies from Saint-Nazaire. Each section was 7 metres (23 ft) high, and 16–20 metres (52–66 ft) long. Forbin was laid down on 16 January 2004; the hull sections were transferred from Saint-Nazaire to Lorient on a barge tugged by Alcyon and assembled there from February 2004 to January 2005, finishing with the bow. The engines were delivered by FiatAvio in September.

Forbin was launched on 10 March 2005, after part of the Scorff river was dredged to make it deep enough for her draught. She was towed out of her building dock by four tugboats at 16:15, taking advantage of the tide. On 28 October, Forbin entered dry dock and underwater equipment was installed, notably the sonar, propellers and rudders.

Trials were held throughout 2006. Engine tests started on 10 May, and she sailed for sea trials on 29 June. Tuning of the combat management systems was particularly problematic, setting the completion of the ship off-schedule enough for her commissioning to be delayed by several months. In late January 2007, Forbin underwent new extensive trials at sea, successfully testing her combat systems in exercises against Super Étendard and Atlantique 2 aircraft. The PAAMS was tested in late May at the Centre d'Essais des Landes. From 12 to 17, Forbin sailed to Toulon, her new home port, where her combat, detection and weapon systems were further finetuned. Forbin fired an Aster 30 at the test range of the DGA on 25 November.

First cruise

Forbin left Toulon on 3 March 2009 for her first long cruise, visiting Morocco, the United States and Canada. She carried a Panther from Squadron 36F of the Aéronavale to validate her air installations. Forbin sailed to Casablanca, and then to Rio de Janeiro. She left Brazil on 30 March, bound for Martinique, where she arrived on 21 April. [7] and sailed on to Norfolk, Virginia and New York, arriving on 24 April. During the transit, she carried out exercises with USS Forrest Sherman. [8] A visit to Halifax was cancelled. Forbin was back to France in May, where she took part in the naval parade of 8 May off Sainte-Maxime. On 25 May, she was at Abu Dhabi. In June, Forbin operated with the Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier group, supporting "Operation Enduring Freedom" and maritime security operations.

Second cruise

The frigate Forbin was part of the French naval task group led by the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle that departed Toulon on 30 October 2010 for a four-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Indian Ocean. and Persian Gulf. [9] [10] The task group commander, Rear Admiral Jean-Louis Kerignard, defined force's mission as follows:

The force would help allied navies fight piracy off the coast of Somalia and send jets to support NATO in the skies above Afghanistan.[ citation needed ]

Once on station, the Charles de Gaulle carrier task group joined two U.S. Navy carrier strike groups led by the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Harry S. Truman operating in the Persian Gulf.[ citation needed ] Subsequently, between 7–14 January 2011, the French carrier task group led by Charles de Gaulle participated with bilateral naval exercise, code named Varuna 10, with the Indian Navy. Indian naval units participating in Varuna 10 included the Centaur-class aircraft carrier Viraat, the Godavari-class frigates Godavari and Ganga; and the Shishumarclass diesel-electric submarine Shalki. Varuna 10 was a two-phase naval exercise, with the harbor phase taking place between 7–11 January and the sea phase between 11–14 January in the Arabian Sea. [10]

POLARIS 21

Forbin participated in the French-led POLARIS 21 exercise. [11] [12]

CLEMENCEAU 22

Forbin deployed as part of Clemenceau 22 led by the carrier Charles de Gaulle. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier battle group</span> Type of naval fleet with an aircraft carrier

A carrier battle group (CVBG) is a naval fleet consisting of an aircraft carrier capital ship and its large number of escorts, together defining the group. The CV in CVBG is the United States Navy hull classification code for an aircraft carrier.

USS <i>Dwight D. Eisenhower</i> US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier currently in service with the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1977, the ship is the second of the ten Nimitz-class aircraft carriers currently in service, and is the first ship named after the 34th President of the United States and General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower. The vessel was initially named simply as USS Eisenhower, much like the lead ship of the class, Nimitz, but the name was changed to its present form on 25 May 1970. The carrier, like all others of her class, was constructed at Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Virginia, with the same design as the lead ship, although the ship has been overhauled twice to bring her up to the standards of those constructed more recently.

USS <i>Decatur</i> (DDG-73)

USS Decatur (DDG-73) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named for the former naval officer Stephen Decatur, Jr. This ship is the 22nd destroyer of her class. USS Decatur was the 13th ship of this class to be built at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, and construction began on 11 January 1996. She was launched on 10 November 1996 and was christened on 8 November 1996. On 29 August 1998 she was commissioned at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aster (missile family)</span> Franco-Italian surface-to-air missile family

The Aster 15 and Aster 30 are a Franco-Italian family of all-weather, vertical launch surface-to-air missiles. The name "Aster" stands for "Aérospatiale Terminale". It also takes inspiration from the word "aster", meaning "star" in Ancient Greek. The missiles as well as the related weapon systems are manufactured by Eurosam, a consortium consisting of MBDA France, MBDA Italy and Thales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PAAMS</span> Joint programme for an integrated anti-air warfare system

The Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) is a joint programme developed by France, Italy, and the United Kingdom for an integrated anti-aircraft warfare system. The prime contractor is EUROPAAMS, a joint venture between Eurosam (66%) and UKAMS (33%). In the United Kingdom, PAAMS has been given the designation Sea Viper.

French aircraft carrier <i>Charles de Gaulle</i> French aircraft carrier

Charles de Gaulle is the flagship of the French Navy. The ship, commissioned in 2001, is the tenth French aircraft carrier, the first French nuclear-powered surface vessel, and the only nuclear-powered carrier completed outside of the United States Navy. She is named after French statesman and general Charles de Gaulle.

Horizon-class frigate Class of air-defence destroyers in service with the French and Italian navies.

The Horizon class is a class of air-defence destroyers in service with the French and Italian navies. They are designated as destroyers by the Italians and using NATO classification but are referred to as "frigates" by the French. The programme started as the Common New Generation Frigate (CNGF), a three-nation collaboration between France, the United Kingdom, and Italy to develop a new generation of air-defence warships. Differing national requirements, workshare disagreements and delays led to the UK withdrawing from the project in 1999 to develop the Type 45 destroyer.

USS <i>Vella Gulf</i> (CG-72)

USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) is a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser that served with the United States Navy. She was the second ship named for the Battle of Vella Gulf, a naval engagement in the Solomons campaign of World War II, the first being USS Vella Gulf (CVE-111), an escort carrier commissioned in 1945. The ship's keel was laid down on 22 April 1991 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Ingalls Shipbuilding, then a division of Litton Industries. She was launched on 13 June 1992, sponsored by Mary A. McCauley, wife of Vice Admiral William F. McCauley (Ret.), and commissioned on 18 September 1993 at Naval Station Norfolk.

USS <i>Thomas S. Gates</i> Ticonderoga class cruiser

USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51) was a flight-I Ticonderoga-class cruiser that was used by the United States Navy. The warship was named after Thomas S. Gates, Secretary of Defense in the last years of the Eisenhower Administration (1959–1961).

French frigate <i>Tourville</i> (D 610)

Tourville is the lead ship of F67 type large high-sea frigates of the French Marine Nationale. The vessel is specialised in anti-submarine warfare, though it also has anti-air and anti-surface capabilities. She is named after the 17th century admiral Count Anne-Hilarion de Cotentin de Tourville.

French frigate <i>Chevalier Paul</i>

Chevalier Paul is a Horizon-class frigate of the French Marine Nationale commissioned in June 2009, the third vessel of the French Navy named after the 17th century admiral Chevalier Paul. The main mission of this type of ship is the escort and protection of a carrier strike group formed around an aircraft carrier, usually Charles de Gaulle or one of the aircraft carriers of the US Navy, or an amphibious operation carried out by amphibious helicopter carriers. The ship's specialty is air traffic control in a war zone, but it can be employed in a wide variety of missions, such as intelligence-gathering, special forces operations, or in protecting less well-armed vessels. Horizon-class frigates such as Chevalier Paul are the most powerful surface combatants that France has ever built. In service since the end of 2011, it bears the pennant number D621. Its namesake is Jean-Paul de Saumeur, better known as Chevalier Paul, a French naval officer born in Marseille in 1598.

<i>Formidable</i>-class frigate Frigate class of the Republic of Singapore Navy

The Formidable-class multi-role stealth frigates are the latest surface platforms to enter into service with the Republic of Singapore Navy, and are multi-mission derivatives of the French Navy's La Fayette-class frigate. The six ships form the First Flotilla of the RSN.

French submarine <i>Améthyste</i> (S605)

Améthyste is a nuclear-powered attack submarine of the French Navy, the fifth of the Rubis type. The boat's name is a pun on a precious stone (Amethyst) and the acronym AMElioration Tactique, HydrodYnamique, Silence, Transmission, Ecoute. The boat is a major upgrade upon the initial design of the Rubis type, and earlier units have since been refitted to meet her standards.

The Force d'action navale is the 9,600-man and about 100-ship force of surface warships of the French Navy. As of 2018, it is commanded by Vice-Amiral d’Escadre Jean-Philippe Rolland.

HNLMS <i>Evertsen</i> (F805) Dutch Frigate

HNLMS Evertsen (F805) is the fourth De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

USS <i>Thomas Hudner</i>

USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The $663 million contract to build her was awarded on 28 February 2012, to Bath Iron Works, of Bath, Maine. On 7 May 2012, Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, announced the ship name would be named Thomas Hudner in honor of U.S. naval aviator Thomas Hudner, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in trying to save the life of his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, in the Korean War.

Spanish frigate <i>Blas de Lezo</i> (F103)

Blas de Lezo (F-103) is a Spanish Navy guided missile frigate of the Álvaro de Bazán class. This is the third ship class of air defense frigates in the Spanish Navy. It was named after the 18th century Spanish Admiral Blas de Lezo. The ship was built by Izar Shipbuilding in Ferrol, Spain and entered into service in 2004.

COVID-19 pandemic on <i>Charles de Gaulle</i> Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic on Charles de Gaulle

In April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reached the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and the Aeronaval Group of the Naval Action Force, its carrier battle group.

French frigate <i>Provence</i> FREMM class multi-purpose frigates in the French Navy

Provence (D652) is an Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy. The Aquitaine class were developed as part of the FREMM multipurpose frigate program.

French frigate <i>Alsace</i> FREMM class multi-purpose frigates in the French Navy

Alsace (D656) is an Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy developed through the FREMM multipurpose frigate program. She is the first of two air-defence variants of the class known as FREMM DA in the program.

References

  1. "Horizon". deagel.com. 2013. Archived from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  2. "Project Horizon / Common New Generation Frigate (CNGF)". globalsecurity.org. 2013. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  3. "Caractéristiques Frégate Horizon Forbin". alabordache.fr (in French). 2013. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  4. Vavasseur, Xavier (17 October 2022). "First Exocet MM40 Block 3c Missiles Set For December Delivery". Naval News. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  5. The French Navy traditionally uses "frégate" for all surface combatants smaller than cruisers; the Horizon class would be considered destroyers by other navies, as reflected in Forbin's D-prefixed NATO pennant number.
  6. "Forbin (D 620)". French Ministry of Defence (in French). 2013. Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  7. "FDA Forbin - Journaux de bord". Marine Nationale (in French). 2013. Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  8. Cole, Adam R. (25 April 2009). "Forrest Sherman Teams with French Ship for PASSEX". navy.mil. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  9. "Fifth Deployment for French Charles de Gaulle Aircraft Carrier". defpros.news. Defense Professional. November 3, 2010. Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
  10. 1 2 Vivek Ragahuvanshi (January 6, 2011). "Indo-French Naval Exercises Set To Start". DefenseNews. Retrieved 2011-01-10.[ dead link ]
  11. Mahadzir, Dzirham (19 November 2021). "French Navy Kicks Off Force-on-Force Drills in Mediterranean with Partner Nations, NATO". USNI News. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  12. Vavasseur, Xavier (19 November 2021). "Here Is The Ship List For POLARIS 21: France's High Intensity Combat Exercise". Naval News. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  13. Manaranche, Martin (1 February 2022). "French Carrier Strike Group Begins 'Clemenceau 22' Deployment". Naval News. Retrieved 16 September 2022.