The French Navy's first new BRF, Jacques Chevallier (A 725), started sea acceptance trials off the coast of Saint-Nazaire on 25 January. (Naval Group)
The French Navy's first new batiments ravitailleurs de forces (BRF) logistic support ship (LSS), Jacques Chevallier (A 725), has started sea trials.
Laid down in December 2021 and launched on 29 April 2022, Jacques Chevallier is the first of four new BRFs being built for the French Navy by a consortium comprising Chantiers de l'Atlantiqueand prime contractor Naval Group under a contract awarded in 2019.
Under the contract arrangement, Chantiers de l'Atlantique is building the aft sections of the four ships at its yard in Saint-Nazaire and is responsible for the overall production and outfitting of the ships, while Naval Group is responsible for the design, development, and integration of the combat system, which is centred around its Polaris combat management system. Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has been subcontracted to build the forward sections of the ships in Italy.
In a 30 January announcement on its official Twitter account,Naval Group said that Jacques Chevallier set sail from Saint-Nazaire for its initial sea trials on 25 January. Initial sea trials focused on the propulsion and navigation systems. The trials programme is expected to continue until June, with follow-on tests being conducted off Saint-Nazaire, Brest, and Toulon that will include combat system and refuelling system tests. Following the completion of its sea acceptance tests, Jacques Chevallier isplanned to be handed over to the French Navy around the beginning of the third quarter.
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