The French Navy recently took delivery of the third vessel in a new class of eight dive support boats built by local company Merre Shipyard.
Iris and her sisters in the Ophrys-class will replace nine older vessels that fulfilled a similar role with the French Navy from 1990 to 1996.
The Ophrys-class boats will be used to support dive operations, primarily dive missions that are focused on the detection and disposal of sea mines.
Aluminium was used for the vessels' construction due to its non-magnetic properties, as other hull materials such as steel would pose a greater risk of causing mines to detonate prematurely.
The new boat has a length of 26.5 metres, a beam of seven metres, a draught of 1.7 metres, and a displacement of 105 tonnes at full load. Accommodation is available for a standard crew of six plus up to 30 divers.
Two diesel engines that each produce 440 kW deliver a maximum speed of 13 knots and a range of 250 nautical miles to allow the vessel to operate further offshore. Once the vessel reaches an area where there are suspected mines, it will switch to electric motors for low-speed navigation to allow it to remain on station for extended periods.