The French Navy has begun implementing dual-crewing on its destroyers and frigates, thus increasing the availability rate of its first line surface combatant force to 80 per cent, according to the service's most senior-ranking official.
Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Nicolas Vaujour said that dual-crewing will add more sea days and therefore increase operational output. Maintenance support processes for in-service vessels have also been improved to further increase availability.
Vaujour added that the availability of ships has increased while still limiting the navy's destroyer and frigate force to only 15. The results include an increase in the number of days these ships spend at sea to nearly double the previous figure, thus allowing the navy to fulfil a greater number of commitments with no change in the force structure.
The French Navy's destroyer and frigate force currently consists of two Horizon-class air defence destroyers, five La Fayette-class frigates, and eight FREMM/Aquitaine-class frigates. The La Fayette-class ships will be replaced by the FDI frigates, the lead ship of which is scheduled to be commissioned before the end of the year.
