See the French warships defeating Houthi missile attacks

0
2KB
  • The US Navy isn't the only force trying to shoot Houthi missiles and drones out of the sky.

  • The French navy is among other allied forces working to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea.

  • Last week, a French frigate shot down at least three Houthi ballistic missiles.

Warships of the French navy are among other Western navies in the Red Sea working to protect commercial shipping vessels from Houthi attacks.

Last week, a French frigate shot down at least three Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles in a combat engagement between Western forces and the Iran-backed militant group.

Operation Aspides

USS Bulkeley and the USS Gonzalez, both United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and the FS Languedoc, the French Navy's multipurpose frigate
USS Bulkeley and the USS Gonzalez, both United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and the FS Languedoc, the French Navy's multipurpose frigate, depart Canadian Forces Base Halifax.US Navy photo by Brad Upshall/Released

France's Marine Nationale deployed two ships to the Red Sea — the FREMM guided-missile frigate Languedoc and the Alsace, a frigate with air defense capabilities.

The ships were deployed as part of the European Union's larger naval mission called Operation Aspides helping to ensure maritime security in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf.

Multipurpose frigates

French Navy Frigate FS Languedoc transits alongside USS Harry S. Truman
French Navy Frigate FS Languedoc transits alongside USS Harry S. Truman during an air and sea power demonstration.US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class T'ara Tripp

The Languedoc and the Alsace are both multipurpose frigates part of the FREMM family of warships.

Under the FREMM initiative, or "European multi-purpose frigate" project, the ships were developed by France and Italy. This led to the new generation of surface-combatant ships known in France as the Aquitaine class and in Italy as the Bergamini class.

Initially, 27 FREMM frigates — 17 for France and 10 for Italy — were planned for development with three proposed variants: an anti-submarine variant, a general-purpose variant, and a land-attack variant.

However, due to budget cuts and building requirements, the French Navy cut the proposed fleet down to less than 10 ships, and the land-attack version of the frigate was canceled.

There are currently eight Aquitaine-class frigates in the French navy. These include the lead ship FS Aquitaine, as well as FS Provence, FS Languedoc, FS Auvergne, FS Bretagne, FS Normandie, FS Alsace, and FS Lorraine.

Air defense

An ASTER 30 missile fired aboard the Aquitaine-class French frigate Bretagne.
An ASTER 30 missile fired aboard the Aquitaine-class French frigate Bretagne.French Navy courtesy photo

French FREMM frigates feature vertical launch system (VLS) cells capable of launching surface-to-air missiles.

In the above photo, the Aquitaine-class French frigate Bretagne is seen firing an ASTER 30 missile, an all-weather, vertical-launch surface-to-air weapon.

FS Languedoc

The French navy ship, the FS Languedoc (D653)
The French navy ship, the FS Languedoc (D653), was seen in port in Djibouti.Luke Dray/Getty Images

The FS Languedoc is one of the two confirmed French warships operating in the Red Sea.

Designed for anti-submarine warfare but capable of conducting other missions, the warship has been stationed in the Red Sea since late last year, taking down a number of drones and missiles launched by Houthi rebels.

The Languedoc was launched in July 2014 and commissioned three years later in 2017. Propelled by a gas turbine and four diesel generators, the 466-foot ship has a surface speed of 27 knots (about 31 mph) and an operational range of 7,000 miles.

The Languedoc features a 76mm rapid-fire naval gun, 16-cell vertical launch system for surface-to-air missiles, another 16-cell VLS for cruise missiles, four torpedo tubes, and four heavy machine guns.

The French warship is also capable of deploying with rotary-wing aircraft like NHIndustries' NH90 military helicopters.

FS Alsace

French Navy frigate FNS Alsace is seen in the background as a CH-148 Cyclone Maritime Helicopter conducts a hoist exercise
French Navy frigate FNS Alsace is seen in the background as a CH-148 Cyclone Maritime Helicopter conducts a hoist exercise with Royal Norwegian Navy Submarine HNoMS Utvaer in the Norwegian Sea.NATO Allied Maritime Command

The Alsace joined the Languedoc in the Red Sea earlier this year as the second French frigate in the area.

Commissioned in April 2021, the Alsace is the first anti-air warfare variant of the FREMM frigates, which include FS Lorraine.

As an Aquitaine-class frigate, the Alsace can also reach speeds of up to 27 knots and has an operational range of 6,000 nautical miles. The Alsace is powered by a gas turbine and four diesel generators.

Like the Languedoc, the Alsace has two 16-cell vertical launch systems, a 76mm gun, the ability to carry as many as eight surface-to-surface missiles, and two Eurotorp MU90 torpedos. It also has a landing pad and a hangar to accommodate military aircraft.

Suche
Kategorien
Mehr lesen
Andere
Advanced Laser Dentistry with Zolar Technology
Zolar Technology leads the way in advanced laser dentistry, offering high-precision lasers that...
Von ZolarTechnology 2024-12-12 09:35:29 0 1KB
Wellness
Glycol Market Size, Share, Growth Factors, Competitive Landscape, with Regional Forecast to 2035
The global Glycol Market study report provides an exclusive analysis of the current market size...
Von Leowatkins 2025-04-08 11:09:22 0 792
Andere
متجر الأهلي: وجهتك المثالية لمنتجات النادي الملكي
يعتبر متجر الأهلي واحداً من أهم المتاجر الرياضية في المملكة العربية السعودية، حيث يقدم لعشاق...
Von sporttouch 2024-06-08 12:24:52 0 2KB
Andere
Hybrid Solar Cell Market Report – Trends, Insights & Forecast By 2029
In this swiftly revolutionizing industry, market research or secondary research is the best...
Von akashp 2023-06-22 11:11:29 0 3KB
News
China Targets 2049 To Emerge No.1 Military Power; PLAAF Leaping Ahead To Become World’s Largest Air Force
In March this year, in testimony on Capitol Hill, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command...
Von Ikeji 2024-09-10 05:37:55 0 1KB