Naval Group starts construction of France’s first FTI frigate

By Baird Maritime - October 28, 2019.

MARITIME SECURITY WEEK

Naval Group recently held a steel-cutting ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of the first Intermediate Frigate (Frégates de taille intermédiaire; FTI) ordered for the French Navy.

The frigates will be used for anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-air warfare (AAW), insertion and extraction of special operations forces.

Each FTI will have a length of 122 metres, a beam of 18 metres, a displacement of 4,500 tonnes, a maximum speed of 27 knots, and a flight deck for helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Armament will include Exocet anti-ship missiles, Aster surface-to-air missiles, and torpedoes.

Five ships have been planned with the first unit scheduled for delivery in 2023.

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