, French defence procurement agency DGA took delivery of BPC-type force projection and command vessel Tonnerre built by naval defence group DCN. This important milestone will be followed by formal handover to the French Navy.
On 14 February, BPC Tonnerre left Brest for Toulon where the combat system will undergo a final series of tests. Delivery to the DGA was previously scheduled to take place in May 2006. The ship was ready and all tests completed on schedule when nonconformities attributed to Chantiers de l'Atlantique (CAT) and its subcontractors were discovered in the accommodation area floors. The repairs resulted in a significant delay.
Formal delivery means that ownership of the Tonnerre has been transferred to the DGA prior to handover to the French Navy.
DCN designed and built the Mistral and its sister ship, the Tonnerre, as programme prime contractor to contract principal DGA. The industrial organisation adopted for this major programme enabled each contractor and subcontractor to contribute efficiently to the overall effort. CAT played a key role as designed and builder of the forward section of each ship.
The 199 metre-long Tonnerre offers a displacement of 21,000 tonnes, a speed of 19 knots and sufficient endurance and range for global force projection. A typical payload might comprise 450 troops, 16 heavy helicopters, two hovercraft and four LCM landing craft or one-third of a mechanised regiment complete with armoured vehicles (1,000 tons).
The design features electric propulsion using azimuth pods and high-level automation compatible with a complement of just 160. The class offers ample capacity as a hospital ship and for large-scale humanitarian evacuation missions. A high-performance communications suite makes the ship ideal as a command vessel.
The class's exemplary capabilities and modular design ensure excellent prospects on the international market.
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