The third French logistic support ship, Émile Bertin, was launched at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire on April 17.
The launch forms part of a Franco-Italian programme managed by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) to deliver six vessels.
The initiative seeks to provide four ships for the French Navy and two for Italy, with a further option for a third Italian vessel.
Following the delivery of the Italian ships Vulcano and Atlante, Émile Bertin follows the French vessels Jacques Chevallier and Jacques Stosskopf into production.
The 194-metre ship has a full load displacement of 31,000 tonnes and a fuel carrying capacity of 13,000 cubic metres.
It is capable of dispensing fuel at a rate of up to 1,200 cubic metres per hour. It is scheduled to depart the Saint-Nazaire facility for Brest in 2027.
Named after a naval engineer who established the hydrodynamic test tank in Paris, the vessel honours the legacy of Émile Bertin, whose work supported the development of the Japanese Navy during the Meiji era in the 19th century.
