French ship Siroco (L9012)

Last updated
5I4A2761 (35672712582).jpg
Bahia in Rio de Janeiro
History
Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svgFrance
NameSiroco
Namesake Sirocco
BuilderDCN, Brest
Laid down9 October 1995
Launched14 December 1996
Commissioned21 December 1998
DecommissionedJuly 2015
Homeport Toulon
IdentificationL 9012
FateSold to Brazilian Navy, August 2015
Flag of Brazil.svgBrazil
NameBahia
Acquired7 August 2015
Commissioned17 December 2015
Identification
StatusActive as of 2021
General characteristics
Class and type Foudre-class landing platform dock
Displacement
  • 11,300 tonnes (standard)
  • 12,000 tonnes (full load)
Length168 m (551 ft)
Beam23.5 m (77 ft)
Draught5.2 m (17 ft)
Installed power20,800 hp (15,500 kW)
Propulsion
  • Engines: 2 SEMT Pielstick 16 PC 2.5 V400 diesels
  • Propellers: 2 adjustable-blade propellers and one beam propeller
  • Auxiliaries: 1 beam propeller (1,000 hp)
  • Electrical plant:5 SACM-Unidiesel diesels alternators
  • Electrical power: 4,250 kW (5 × 850 kW)
Speed21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range20,300 km (11,000 nmi; 12,600 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried
8 landing crafts
Capacity150-man command headquarters
Troops450 (900 for a short cruise)
Crew
  • 20 officers
  • 80 petty officers
  • 60 Quarter-masters
Armament
Aircraft carried4 helicopters EC-725 and SH-60 Seahawk (In Brazilian Navy); Super Puma EC225 (French Navy)
Aviation facilitiesHangar

The French ship Siroco (L9012) was a Foudre-class landing platform dock of the Marine Nationale. The vessel was purchased by Brazil in August 2015, being transferred to the Brazilian Navy as the multipurpose amphibious ship Bahia (G40).

Contents

Service history

French service

Siroco during Operation Baliste Siroco2.jpeg
Siroco during Opération Baliste

Siroco was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 10 October to 25 November 1999. [1]

She served during Opération Baliste during the 2006 Lebanon War. The vessel operated as part of Opération Séisme Haiti 2010 after the 12 January 2010 Haiti earthquake relief effort.

In December 2013 Siroco was serving as the flagship of European Union Naval Force Somalia. [2]

Siroco was to be decommissioned as stated in the 2013 French White Paper on Defence and National Security. The decision was confirmed in October 2014. [3] In July 2015, the ship was decommissioned in French service. [4]

Sale

In December 2014 the Brazilian Navy showed interest in the ship and sent a team to evaluate her. According to the analysis, the ship was in good general condition and recommended purchase. [5]

Bahia in Brazilian Navy, 2018 Ridex2018 39 (28352301667).jpg
Bahia in Brazilian Navy, 2018

The Portuguese Navy also showed interest in the ship, during joint naval exercises with the French Navy, in March 2015. [6] However, when the acquisition process of Siroco was already at an advanced stage, the Minister of Defense of Portugal signed an renunciation order cancelling the process on 30 July 2015. The renunciation was justified by the identification of several incompatibilities between the ship and other hardware in use by Portugal, including its inability to support the operation of the Portuguese EH101 helicopters. [7]

Following the Portuguese withdrawal, on 7 August 2015, the Ministry of Defense of Brazil announced the acquisition of Siroco for the Brazilian Navy for €80 million. The deal includes landing craft, spare parts, missile launchers for the Mistral missile, and training. The ship was renamed Bahia and given the identification number G40. [8] [9] Provisionally commissioned into the Brazilian Navy on 10 December 2015, the ship officially incorporated the vessel into service on 10 March 2016. [9]

To bring the ship into Brazilian service, a contract was signed with DCNS for €7.5 million. [9]

Brazilian service

The purchase of the ship allowed an increase in the amphibious and aerial capabilities of the Brazilian Navy, as well as contributing to the maintenance of the logistics of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti and humanitarian aid thanks to the hospital center that Bahia has. Its airborne group in Brazilian Navy is composed by 2 helicopters Eurocopter EC725 and 2 Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk.

Related Research Articles

<i>San Antonio</i>-class amphibious transport dock Amphibious Transport Dock

The San Antonio class is a class of amphibious transport docks, also called a "landing platform, dock" (LPD), used by the United States Navy. These warships replace the Austin-class LPDs, as well as the Newport-class tank landing ships, the Anchorage-class dock landing ships, and the Charleston-class amphibious cargo ships that have already been retired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amphibious transport dock</span> Transport ship for carrying and landing amphibious forces

An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform dock (LPD), is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently operate this kind of ship. The ships are generally designed to transport troops into a war zone by sea, primarily using landing craft, although invariably they also have the capability to operate transport helicopters.

USS <i>Juneau</i> (LPD-10)

USS Juneau (LPD-10), an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, is the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the capital of Alaska. The ship entered service on 12 July 1969, and participated in the Vietnam War, was command ship for the response to the Exxon Valdex oil spill, transported troops to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Storm, and was part of the attempted US response to Cyclone Nargis. Juneau was decommissioned in 2008, and is part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet, and is currently berthed in Oahu, Hawaii waiting for disposal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazilian Navy</span> Naval warfare branch of Brazils military forces

The Brazilian Navy is the naval service branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, responsible for conducting naval operations. The Brazilian Navy is the largest navy in Latin America and the second largest navy in the Americas after the United States Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portuguese Navy</span> Naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces

The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defense of Portugal.

USS <i>Hermitage</i> (LSD-34)

USS Hermitage (LSD-34) was a Thomaston-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for The Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson's estate just outside Nashville, Tennessee.

Landing Craft Utility Type of boat designed for transporting amphibious forces and cargo to shore

A Landing Craft Utility (LCU) is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or piers.

<i>Foudre</i>-class landing platform dock Class of French landing platform docks

The Foudre-class landing platform dock is a class of landing platform docks designed and constructed for the French Navy. Designated Transport de Chalands de Débarquement, they were intended to replace the ageing Ouragan class and the construction of four vessels was planned. Only two were built and the remaining two were instead reordered as Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. The two ships of the Foudre class, Foudre and Siroco, operated with the French Navy between 1990 and 2014. Replaced by the Mistrals, in 2011 Foudre was sold to the Chilean Navy and Siroco was sold to the Brazilian Navy in 2015.

Brazilian aircraft carrier <i>São Paulo</i> Aircraft carrier in service from 2000 to 2018

NAeSão Paulo was a Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier in service with the Brazilian Navy. São Paulo was first commissioned in 1963 by the French Navy as Foch and was transferred in 2000 to Brazil, where she became the new flagship of the Brazilian Navy. IHS Jane's reported that during her career with the Brazilian Navy, São Paulo suffered from serviceability issues and never managed to operate for more than three months at a time without the need for repairs and maintenance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazilian Marine Corps</span> Military unit

The Brazilian Marine Corps, is the land combat branch and amphibious branch of the Brazilian Navy. The Corps is specialised in amphibious warfare.

USS <i>Cayuga</i> (LST-1186) Newport-class tank landing ship

USS Cayuga (LST-1186) was a Newport-class tank landing ship of the United States Navy which replaced the traditional bow door-design tank landing ships (LSTs). The vessel was constructed by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California and was launched in 1969 and commissioned in 1970. Cayuga took part in the Vietnam War and Gulf War in American service. Decommissioned in 1994, the LST was transferred to the Brazilian Navy the same year on loan and renamed NDCC Mattoso Maia. The ship was purchased by Brazil outright in 2001. Mattoso Maia is currently in service, having taken part in MINUSTAH.

Type 071 amphibious transport dock Class of ship in service with the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy

The Type 071 is a class of Chinese amphibious transport dock ships in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The Type 071 provides the PLAN with capabilities and flexibility not found in its previous landing ships.

<i>Makassar</i>-class landing platform dock

The Makassar class is a class of South Korean-designed Landing Platform Dock. The lead ship is named after the city of Makassar in Sulawesi and built in Busan, South Korea. The ships were designed by Daesun Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. based on their earlier design of Tanjung Dalpele class that was sold to the Indonesian Navy.

Spanish ship <i>Castilla</i> (L52)

Castilla (L52) is a Galicia-class landing platform dock (LPD), and is the twelfth ship of this name. She is the sister ship to the amphibious warfare vessel Galicia. The vessel is primarily used to transport Spanish marines but is also used for humanitarian aid missions. Launched in 1999 and commissioned in 2000, Castilla took part in Operation Romeo Sierra as part of the Perejil Island crisis in 2002, has participated in multiple military exercises with NATO and provided humanitarian relief in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GRUMEC</span> Brazilian Navy special forces diving unit

The Combat Divers Groupment, abbreviated to GRUMEC, is a special operations and Counterterrorism unit of the Brazilian Navy. Their main attributions include tasks such as reconnaissance, sabotage, hostage rescue and the elimination of targets of strategic value in maritime and riverine environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opération Séisme Haiti 2010</span>

Opération Séisme Haiti 2010 is France's military relief operation for the 12 January 2010 earthquake.

The procurement of Landing Platform Docks (LPD) by the Indian Navy, formerly known as the "Multi-Role Support Vessel Program" (MRSV) - is an initiative of the Indian Navy to procure a series of landing platform docks, specific vessels dedicated to amphibious warfare, as part of the service's strategy to augment its capabilities of amphibious warfare, disaster-response, humanitarian assistance and auxiliary duties.

<i>Tarlac</i>-class landing platform dock Philippine Navy amphibious transport ship

The Tarlac class are landing platform docks of the Philippine Navy meant for amphibious operations and transport duties in support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The class was initially called the "Strategic Sealift Vessel" before being formally named. The ships will also double as a support platform for Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) and Search & Rescue (SAR) operations.

UMS Moattama (1501) also UMS Mottama is the first landing platform dock (LPD) and current flagship of the Myanmar Navy. Like other LPDs, Moattama is designed for amphibious operations, transportation of personnel as well as disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. It has a well deck and two helicopter landing spots and hangar. Moattama was based on the Makassar class design used by Dae Sun for the LPDs ordered by Indonesia and Peru. It is 125 metres long and a beam of 22 metres. It is also expected to be able to accommodate at least two Mi-17 medium helicopters in its flight deck.

The Brazilian Navy has a large number of active and planned projects, under the modernization plans of the Brazilian Armed Forces, defined in the National Defense White Paper. From 2010, Brazil started a radical change in its military policy, aiming to consolidate itself as the major power of Latin America, then the country's military strategists saw the great importance in modernize the Navy, both in terms of global projection and deterrence against possible threats to national interests by foreign powers from the year 2040, the total estimated budget for the plan was estimated in US$ 119 billion in 2010.

References

  1. Stevens, David (2007). Strength Through Diversity: The combined naval role in Operation Stabilise (PDF). Working Papers. Vol. 20. Canberra: Sea Power Centre - Australia. p. 14. ISBN   978-0-642-29676-4. ISSN   1834-7231. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
  2. EU Naval Force Flagship FS Siroco Helps Seafarers Adrift At Sea In The Gulf Of Aden, eunavfor, 14 December 2013, retrieved 2 February 2014
  3. "Défense : Le Drian détaille les 7 500 postes supprimés dans l'armée". francetvinfo. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  4. Barreira, Victor (5 August 2015). "Brazil may acquire French Siroco LPD". IHS Jane's 360. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  5. "Relatório da Marinha do Brasil é favorável à aquisição do 'Siroco'" (in Portuguese). naval.com.br. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  6. "Fragata Bartolomeu Dias e navio francês Siroco juntos em exercício naval" (in Portuguese). marinha.pt. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  7. "Portugal abandons plan to buy French LPD". IHS Jane's. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  8. "MD adquire 'Siroco' para a Marinha do Brasil" (in Portuguese). Defesa Aérea & Naval. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 "Brazil officially incorporates former French LPD | IHS Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Retrieved 2016-03-15.

Further reading