List of active French Navy ships

Naval ensign of France

This is a list of active French Navy ships. ^{[1] [2] [3]} The French Navy consists of nearly 100 vessels of the Force d'action navale (Naval action force) ^[4] and the 9 submarines of the Forces sous-marines (Submarine force). Primary assets include one nuclear aircraft carrier, three amphibious assault ships, four air-defence-focused destroyers, six anti-submarine (ASW)/land attack mission-oriented destroyers, five general-purpose frigates, and six surveillance frigates. The Navy also operates some 19 patrol ships, supplemented by additional coast guard/Maritime Gendarmerie vessels. The surveillance frigates and a significant number of the patrol vessels are based in France's overseas territories.

The submarine force consists of five nuclear attack submarines and four nuclear ballistic missile submarines.

Integral to supporting the Force d'Action Navale at sea are the French Navy's 2 replenishment oilers, 16 mine countermeasure vessels and 4 support/pollution response ships. In addition to the above units, the Navy operates five survey vessels, four experimentation ships, four ocean tugboats, 14 training vessels as well as numerous smaller vessels and tugs.

The main base for French naval forces in the Atlantic is located at Brest while the principal base in the Mediterranean is Toulon. ^{[5] [6]}

Submarine fleet (Forces sous-marines)

Main articles: Submarine forces (France) and List of submarines of France

Nuclear ballistic missile submarines

Class	Boat	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
Triomphant class	Triomphant	S616	1997	14,335 tonnes	Ballistic missile submarine	Four boats constituting the strategic component of France's nuclear deterrent, the Force de dissuasion.
	Téméraire	S617	1999
	Vigilant	S618	2004
	Terrible	S619	2010

• 
  Téméraire (Triomphant class)

Nuclear attack submarines

Class	Boat	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
Suffren class	Suffren	S635 [7]	2020	5,300 tonnes	Nuclear attack submarine	S637 working up to full operational status as of late-2024; [8] six planned in total
	Duguay-Trouin	S636	2023 [9]
	Tourville	S637	2024
Rubis class	Améthyste	S605	1992	2,660 tonnes		Being incrementally replaced by the Suffren class.
	Perle	S606	1993

• 
  Perle (Rubis class)
• 
  Suffren (Suffren class)

Surface fleet (Bâtiments de combat)

Aircraft carrier

Class	Ship	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
—	Charles de Gaulle	R91	2001	42,500 tonnes	Aircraft carrier	Only active nuclear-powered CATOBAR aircraft carrier outside of the United States Navy.

• 
  Charles de Gaulle

Amphibious warfare / helicopter carriers

See also: List of active French Navy landing craft

Class	Ship	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
Mistral class	Mistral	L9013	2006	21,500 tonnes	Helicopter carrier-amphibious assault ship
	Tonnerre	L9014
	Dixmude	L9015	2012

• 
  Dixmude (Mistral class)

Major surface combatants

The French Navy does not use the term "destroyer". While officially classed as "frigates", the larger major surface combatants of the first rank are nevertheless registered as destroyers (with hull numbers "Dxxx"; though, as of 2023, French Navy vessels are incrementally having hull numbers removed from display on all ships). ^{[10] [11]}

Class	Ship	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
Horizon class	Forbin	D620	2008	7,050 tonnes	Air-defence destroyer
	Chevalier Paul	D621	2009
Aquitaine class	Aquitaine	D650	2012	6,040 tonnes	Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) destroyer
	Normandie	D651	2020
	Provence	D652	2015
	Languedoc	D653	2017
	Auvergne	D654	2018
	Bretagne	D655	2019
	Alsace	D656	2021		Air defence/ASW destroyer
	Lorraine	D657	2023
Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention	Amiral Ronarc'h	D660	Projected 2025 [12] [13] [14]	4,500 tonnes		D660 on sea trials as of late-2024; five ships planned by 2032
La Fayette class	La Fayette	F710	1996	3,900 tonnes	General-purpose frigate
	Surcouf	F711	1997
	Courbet	F712
	Aconit	F713	1999
	Guépratte	F714	2001
Floréal class	Floréal	F730	1992	2,950 tonnes	Surveillance frigate	Class has anti-ship missiles removed and functions in a second-rank "surveillance frigate" role for French overseas territories.
	Prairial	F731	1992
	Nivôse	F732
	Ventôse	F733	1993
	Vendémiaire	F734
	Germinal	F735	1994

• 
  Forbin (Horizon class)
• 
  Auvergne (Aquitaine class)
• 
  Illustration: Defence and intervention frigate (FDI) class
• 
  Surcouf (La Fayette class)
• 
  Germinal (Floréal class)

Patrol

Class	Ship	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
—	L'Astrolabe	P800	2017	4,000 tonnes	Icebreaker/support vessel/offshore patrol	Based in Réunion; co-operated by the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) Administration and the French Navy.
D'Entrecasteaux class	D'Entrecasteaux	A621	2016	2,300 tonnes	Offshore patrol/support/assistance vessel	Based in Noumea
	Bougainville	A622				Based in Papeete
	Champlain	A623	2017			Based in Réunion
	Dumont d'Urville	A624	2020			Based in Fort-de-France [15]
Loire class	Loire	A602	2018	2,960 tonnes		Two based in the Atlantic & two in the Mediterranean; serve similar roles in metropolitan France as the D'Entrecasteaux-class does overseas [16]
	Rhône	A603	2019
	Seine	A604
	Garonne	A605	2020
D'Estienne d'Orves class	Commandant Blaison	F793	1982	1,250 tonnes	Offshore patrol vessel	Originally entered service as avisos (sloops / light corvettes), reclassified as OPVs in 2012. [17] To be replaced from 2027 as part of the acquisition of a new class of patrol vessels (“Patrouilleurs Hauturiers” - PH). [18] [19] [20]
	Enseigne de Vaisseau Jacoubet	F794
	Commandant Ducuing	F795	1983
	Commandant Birot	F796	1984
	Commandant Bouan	F797
Confiance class	La Confiance	P733	2017	700 tonnes		Based in Guiana
	La Résolue	P734
	La Combattante	P735	2020			Based in Fort-de-France
Félix Éboué class	Auguste Bénébig	P779	2023 [21] [22]	1,300 tonnes		Based in Noumea [23]
	Teriieroo a Teriierooiterai	P780	2024 [24] [25]			Based in Papeete
	Auguste Techer	P781	Projected 2025			Sea trials as of late 2024; to be based in Réunion; 3 additional vessels to enter service in 2025 and 2026 [26]

• 
  L'Astrolabe
• 
  D'Entrecasteaux (D'Entrecasteaux class)
• 
  Loire (Loire class)
• 
  Commandant Bouan (D'Estienne d'Orves class)
• 
  La Résolue (La Confiance class)
• 
  Illustration: Patrouilleur Outre-mer - POM (Félix Éboué class)

Coastguard

See also: Maritime Gendarmerie

Class	Boat	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
—	Le Malin	P701	1997	1,300 tonnes	Coastal patrol vessel	An ex-trawler based in Réunion; transferring back to metropolitan France after replacement by third Patrouilleur Outre-mer (POM)-class patrol vessel in 2025 [27] [28] [29]
Lapérouse class	Arago	P675	1988	980 tonnes		An ex-hydrographic survey vessel. As of late 2024, based in Brest to fill gap in the Atlantic until arrival of "PH"-class OPVs in latter 2020s. [30] [31]
—	Fulmar	P740	1991	550 tonnes		An ex-trawler based in Saint Pierre
Flamant class	Flamant	P676	1997	390 tonnes	Patrol boat	Based in Cherbourg; to be replaced from 2027 as part of the acquisition of new class of "PH" patrol vessels.
	Cormoran	P677
	Pluvier	P678

• 
  Le Malin
• 
  Arago (Lapérouse class)
• 
  Fulmar
• 
  Flamant (Flamant class)

Mine countermeasures

Class	Boat	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
Éridan class	Andromède	M643	1984	615 tonnes	Minehunter	Being replaced by Système de lutte anti-mines futur (SLAM-F) starting in 2023 [32]
	Pégase	M644	1985
	Orion	M645	1986
	Croix du Sud	M646
	Aigle	M647	1987
	Lyre	M648
	Céphée	M652
	Capricorne	M653
	Sagittaire	M650	1996
Vulcain class	Vulcain	M611	1986	490 tonnes	Clearance diving	To be replaced by SLAM-F
	Pluton	M622	1986
	Styx	M614	1987
	Achéron	A613
Antarès class	Antarès	M770	1993	340 tonnes	Sonar towing vessel	To be replaced by SLAM-F
	Altaïr	M771
	Aldébaran	M772	1994
Ophrys class	Ophrys	Y6040	2022	105 tonnes	Diving support vessel (VSP)	Part of SLAM-F program, total of eight units planned up to 2026; Acacia on sea trials as of early 2025. [33] [34] [35] [36]
	Acacia	Y6041	Projected 2025

• 
  Former Cassiopée (Éridan class)
• 
  Achéron (Vulcain class)
• 
  Antarès (Antarès class)

Auxiliary fleet

Replenishment

Class	Ship	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
Jacques Chevallier class	Jacques Chevallier	A725	2024 [37]	31,000 tonnes	Replenishment oiler	Two additional ships planned to enter service by 2027; fourth projected after 2030 [38] [39] [40]
Durance class	Somme	A631	1990	17,900 tonnes		To be replaced in 2027 by third vessel of the Jacques Chevallier class

• 
  Somme (Durance class)
• 
  Jacques Chevallier

Intelligence, research and experimentation

Class	Boat	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
—	Monge	A601	1992	21,040 tonnes	Tracking ship
—	Dupuy de Lôme	A759	2006	3,600 tonnes	SIGINT
—	Alizé	A645	2005	1,600 tonnes	DGSE diving support	Also used to test new equipment and diving procedures
Lapérouse class	Thétis	A785	1988	1,050 tonnes	Mine-warfare experimentation	To be replaced by SLAM-F

• 
  Monge
• 
  Dupuy de Lôme
• 
  Thétis (Lapérouse class)

Survey

Class	Boat	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
—	Pourquoi Pas?	—	2005	6,600 tonnes	Oceanographic survey	Operated by IFREMER (55%) and the French Navy (45%) with civilian crew. [41]
—	Beautemps-Beaupré	A758	2003	3,600 tonnes
Lapérouse class	Lapérouse	A791	1988	980 tonnes	Hydrographic survey	To be replaced from 2027 to 2029 by 2 new hydro-oceanographic vessels. [42]
	Borda	A792
	Laplace	A793	1989

• 
  Pourquoi pas?
• 
  Beautemps-Beaupré
• 
  Laplace (Lapérouse class)

Ocean tugboats

Class	Boat	No.	Commissioned	Displacement	Type	Note
UT515	Abeille Bourbon	-	2005	4,600 tonnes	Oceangoing tug	Operated under charter
	Abeille Liberté	-
VS-491 CD	Abeille Normandie	-	2010	3,978 tonnes
	Abeille Méditerrannée	-

• 
  Abeille Liberté
• 
  Abeille Normandie

Port and coastal tugboats

Class	Ship	No.	Commissioned	Displacement	Type	Note
RPC12 class	Fréhel	A675	1989	220 tonnes	Harbour tugboat
	Saire	A676
	Armen	A677	1991
	La Houssaye	A678	1992
	Kéréon	A679
	Sicié	A680	1994
	Taunoa	A681	1996
	Lardier	Y638	1995
	Giens	Y639	1994
	Mengam	Y640
	Balaguier	Y641	1995
	Taillat	Y642
	Nividic	Y643	1996
	Port Cros	Y649	1997
	Le Four	Y647	1998
	Eckmühl	Y646	—
	Rascas	A682	2003
RP30/RPC30 class	Céladon	Y6051	2023	275 tonnes	Harbour tugboat	Originally to have been 20 vessels; program stopped at four units due to cost [43] [44] [45] [46]
	Zinzolin	A6652
	Turquin	TBD
	Azur	Y6053
Maito class	Maito	A636	1984	228 tonnes	Harbour tugboat	Maito based in Fort de France; Maroa and Manini in Pape'ete [47] [48]
	Maroa	A637	1985
	Manini	A638	1984

• 
  Le Four (RPC 12 class)

Support

Class	Boat	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
—	Argonaute	—	—	~4,000 tonnes	Support and pollution control	Operated under charter
	Jason	—
	Pionnier	—
	Sapeur	—

• 
  Jason

Training

Class	Boat	No.	Comm	Displacement	Type	Note
UT712 class	Rebel	—	—	2,900 tonnes	Training ship	Operated under charter
UT745 class	Partisan	—	—	2,340 tonnes
Léopard class	Léopard	A748	1982	470 tonnes
	Panthère	A749
	Jaguar	A750
	Lynx	A751
	Guépard	A752	1983
	Chacal	A753
	Tigre	A754
	Lion	A755
Glycine class	Glycine	A770	1992	295 tonnes	Navigation training
	Églantine	A771
Paimpolaise class	Étoile	A649	1932	275 tonnes	Sail training	Schooner
	Belle Poule	A650

• 
  Partisan
• 
  Rebel
• 
  Guépard (Léopard class)
• 
  Glycine (Glycine class)
• 
  Belle Poule (Paimpolaise class)

For a complete list of Bâtiments de soutien (Auxiliaries) see Bâtiments de soutien at the official Marine Nationale website.

Silhouettes

Silhouettes of major fleet units:

Charles de Gaulle

Mistral	Tonnerre	Dixmude

Forbin	Chevalier Paul

	Amiral Ronarc'h
Aquitaine	Normandie	Provence	Languedoc

Auvergne	Bretagne	Alsace	Lorraine

La Fayette	Surcouf	Courbet	Aconit	Guépratte

Triomphant	Téméraire	Vigilant	Terrible

Suffren	Duguay-Trouin	Tourville	Améthyste	Perle

See also

• Future of the French Navy
• Maritime Gendarmerie
• List of active French Navy landing craft
• List of ships of the line of France
• List of battleships of France
• List of French cruisers
• List of destroyers of France
• List of French sail frigates
• List of French steam frigates

References

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2. "Liste des bâtiments de combat de la Marine nationale par unité" (in French). defense.gouv.fr. 19 November 2014. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
3. "Liste des bâtiments de soutien par unité" (in French). defense.gouv.fr. 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
4. "Force d'action navale".
5. "Toulon Naval Base". Naval Technology. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
6. "Arsenal de Brest". Naval Technology. 24 March 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
7. Vavasseur, Xavier (27 November 2021). "Naval Group Rolls Out 2nd Barracuda Type Submarine". Naval News. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
8. Groizeleau, Vincent (19 November 2024). "Naval Group livre le Tourville, troisième des six nouveaux SNA de la classe Suffren". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 19 November 2024.
9. "French Navy Receives 2nd Barracuda Type Submarine". navalnews.com. 12 August 2023.
10. Groizeleau, Vincent (17 March 2023). "Marine nationale : l'anonymisation n'ira pas jusqu'aux bâchis". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
11. Groizeleau, Vincent (6 March 2023). "Deux frégates du type FREMM anonymisées l'une à côté de l'autre, trouvez les différences !". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
12. Tanguy, Jean-Marc (11 July 2024). "La frégate La Fayette fera une première mission en Atlantique cet été". le Marin (in French). Retrieved 20 July 2024.
13. Groizeleau, Vincent (17 December 2021). "En présence des Grecs, la France met sur cale sa première FDI". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 17 February 2022.
14. "France accelerates the FDI frigates program". navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
15. Vavasseur, Xavier (20 April 2020). "French Navy Final D'Entrecasteaux-Class BSAOM Vessel 'Dumont D'Urville' Enters Active Service". Naval News. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
16. "Bâtiments de soutien et d'assistance métropolitain". Marine Nationale. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
17. Between 2011 and 2017 heavy armaments have been removed.
18. Groizeleau, Vincent (11 December 2024). "La Marine nationale veut ses 10 patrouilleurs hauturiers, quitte à faire glisser ses futures corvettes". Mer et Marine.
19. Groizeleau, Vincent (13 March 2023). "La Marine nationale n'obtiendrait que 7 nouveaux patrouilleurs hauturiers au lieu des 10 prévus". Mer et Marine.
20. Vavasseur, Xavier (25 June 2020). "French Navy Ageing PHMs And PSPs Patrol Vessels To Be Replaced With 10 New OPVs". Naval News. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
21. Lagneau, Laurent (26 July 2023). "Premier patrouilleur outre-Mer, l'Auguste Bénébig a été admis au service actif par la Marine nationale". zone militaire (in French). Retrieved 30 July 2023.
22. "Départ de l'Auguste Bénébig, premier des six POM, pour Nouméa; Ministère des Armées". 18 January 2023.
23. "EN IMAGES. L'arrivée du patrouilleur "Auguste-Bénébig" à Nouméa". nouvellecaledonie (in French). 3 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
24. Groizeleau, Vincent (19 July 2024). "La Marine nationale met en service son deuxième patrouilleur d'outre-mer". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 19 July 2024.
25. "Le nouveau patrouilleur destiné à la Polynésie française se prépare à rejoindre Papeete". Mer et Marine (in French). 11 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
26. Groizeleau, Vincent (25 September 2024). "Socarenam : le patrouilleur Auguste Techer débute ses essais en mer". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 25 September 2024.
27. Groizeleau, Vincent (17 October 2024). "Marine nationale : le patrouilleur Le Malin va terminer sa carrière en métropole" . Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 3 November 2024.
28. "Patrouilleurs de la Marine nationale - Sénat". senat.fr. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
29. "SOCARENAM Shipyard Selected to Deliver 6 French Navy OPVs for Overseas Territories". 3 December 2019.
30. Groizeleau, Vincent (9 September 2024). "Prolongé de trois ans, le patrouilleur Arago quitte Papeete pour être repositionné à Brest" . Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 12 September 2024.
31. "Extension of patrol vessel Arago's operations in French Polynesia until 2024". Archived from the original on 2020-10-21.
32. Vavasseur, Xavier (6 November 2020). "France Launches SLAMF Mine Warfare Program but Many Questions Remain". Naval News.
33. Groizeleau, Vincent (17 January 2025). "Marine nationale : une nouvelle vedette de support de plongée en essais". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 20 January 2025.
34. Groizeleau, Vincent (20 March 2023). "Plongeurs-démineurs : Merré lance la construction en série des VSP". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 20 March 2023.
35. Groizeleau, Vincent (6 September 2022). "La nouvelle vedette de support à la plongée en route pour la base navale de Toulon". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 2 December 2022.
36. "Le Fauteuil de Colbert: Marine nationale : Chantier de la VSP n°1 « Ophrys » (2021 - 2022)". May 2022.
37. Groizeleau, Vincent (28 November 2024). "Le BRF Jacques Chevallier admis au service actif". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 28 November 2024.
38. Groizeleau, Vincent (13 April 2023). "Dernière navigation pour le BCR Marne, qui passe le flambeau au BRF Jacques Chevallier". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2023.
39. "Marine nationale : Le BRF Jacques Chevallier sera livré en 2023". 14 April 2021.
40. "Construction Begins for French Navy's Next Gen Replenishment Tanker Chevallier-class 'BRF'". 18 May 2020.
41. Forces de surface - Les bâtiments hydrographiques et océanographiques Archived 2013-08-03 at the Wayback Machine , defense.gouv.fr, Retrieved 28 June 2014
42. Groizeleau, Vincent (15 November 2024). "Capacité hydro-océanographique future (CHOF) : Ocea se positionne avec l'OSV 315". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 16 November 2024.
43. "Piriou : à cause des hausses de coûts, la série des 20 remorqueurs de la marine s'arrête au 4ème". Mer er Marine (in French). 26 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
44. Cogné, Gaël (26 May 2023). "Zinzolin : à la découverte de la nouvelle génération de remorqueurs de la Marine nationale". Mer er Marine (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-27.
45. "Piriou Wins Contract To Deliver 20 Harbor Tugs To The French Navy". Naval Technology. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
46. "DGA : Réception du Céladon, premier remorqueur portuaire 30 tonnes". asafrance.fr (in French). 9 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
47. "Livret de la flotte" (PDF). ecole.nav (in French). 2021. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
48. "Remorqueur côtier Maito". netmarine (in French). 2012. Retrieved 2023-03-11.

External links

• (in English) French Navy - Guide Book 2011
• (in English) French Navy - Facts & Figures 2011
• (in French) Marine Nationale - List of ships
• (in French) Marine Nationale - Blogs for individual ships
• (in French) Net Marine
• (in French) Alabordache