VESSEL REVIEW | Amiral Ronarc'h – First ship in new multi-role frigate class for French Navy

The French Navy recently took delivery of the first of four new warships designated as defence and intervention frigates (frégate de défense et d'intervention; FDI).

Like her FDI sisters, the future Amiral Ronarc'h was built by French defence shipbuilder the Naval Group. She is capable of anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and insertion and extraction of special operations forces. The ship can operate alone or as part of a naval task force and can be deployed long-term over long distances.

Designed for countering air, surface and subsurface threats

The FDI honours Pierre-Alexis Ronarc'h, a French Navy admiral who saw service during the First World War. She is scheduled to be commissioned into service by the middle of 2026. In French Navy service, the FDIs will complement the larger FREMM or Aquitaine-class frigates and replace the La Fayette-class ships that have been in operation since the 1980s.

The introduction of the FREMM and FDI ships into service is in line with the French Navy’s goal of having a fleet of 15 vessels classified as “first-rate” frigates.

The future Amiral Ronarc’h has a length of 122 metres (400 feet), a beam of 17.7 metres (58.1 feet), and accommodation for 125 crewmembers and 28 additional personnel. A combined diesel and diesel propulsion arrangement with a total installed power of 32,000 kW (43,000 hp) delivers a top speed of 27 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots.

The armament consists of Aster surface-to-air missiles, Exocet anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, an OTO Melara 76mm naval gun, two Nexter Narwhal remotely controlled 20mm autocannons, and a CANTO torpedo decoy countermeasures launcher.

The electronics meanwhile include a Thales Sea Fire radar, Thales hull-mounted and towed array sonars, a Thales ESM system, a Terma X-band navigation radar, iXblue navigation systems, and a combat management system supplied by the Naval Group.

The Naval Group said that the FDI ships are the first frigates to benefit from a digital architecture that will enable them to adapt continuously to technological and operational developments. The company remarked that, as a result, the FDIs will be able to deal with current and future high-spectrum threats, with 360-degree coverage in all frequency bands, and process an ever-increasing amount of data.

Enhanced cyber and asymmetric defence systems

The Naval Group said the FDIs will also be the first French Navy frigates to be protected against cyber threats from the outset. Each ship will feature redundant IT architecture based around two data centres that host a large proportion of the ship's IT applications.

The FDI is also configured for combating asymmetric threats. A dedicated onboard system will make it possible to coordinate and lead defences against small close-range air and surface threats including munitions-laden craft.

A hangar and a flight deck are available for use by a 10-tonne helicopter or a smaller unmanned aerial vehicle. Two rigid inflatable boats can be embarked for at-sea boardings and interceptions.

The FDI ships have also been developed for export. Specifically, three examples of the FDI HN variant, alternately known as the Kimon-class, have been tailored to the requirements of the Hellenic Navy. Deliveries of these three frigates are scheduled to take place through 2026.