This is a list of active
French Navy
The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
ships. The French Navy consists of nearly 100 vessels of the ''
Force d'action navale'' (Naval action force) and the 9
submarines
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or info ...
of the ''
Forces sous-marines'' (Submarine force). Primary assets include one
nuclear aircraft carrier, three
amphibious assault ship
An amphibious assault ship is a type of warship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory during an armed conflict. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (which, as a result, ar ...
s, four
air-defence-focused destroyers, six anti-submarine (ASW)/land attack mission-oriented destroyers, five general-purpose frigates, and six surveillance frigates. The Navy also operates some 19 patrol ships, supplemented by additional coast guard/
Maritime Gendarmerie
The Maritime Gendarmerie () is a component of the French National Gendarmerie under operational control of the chief of staff of the French Navy. It employs 1,157 personnel and operates around thirty patrol boats and high-speed motorboats distri ...
vessels. The surveillance frigates and a significant number of the patrol vessels are based in
France's overseas territories.
The
submarine force consists of five
nuclear attack submarines and four
nuclear ballistic missile submarines.
Integral to supporting the ''Force d'Action Navale'' at sea are the French Navy's 2 replenishment oilers, 16 mine countermeasure vessels and 4 support/pollution response ships. In addition to the above units, the Navy operates five survey vessels, four experimentation ships, four ocean tugboats, 14 training vessels as well as numerous smaller vessels and tugs.
The main base for French naval forces in the Atlantic is located at
Brest while the principal base in the Mediterranean is
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department.
The Commune of Toulon h ...
.
Submarine fleet (''Forces sous-marines'')
Nuclear ballistic missile submarines (4)
File:Temeraire1048.jpg, ''Téméraire'' (''Triomphant'' class)
Nuclear attack submarines (5)
File:FS Perle 01.jpg, ''Perle'' (''Rubis'' class)
File:Suffren at Cape Brun off Toulon on 26 July 2020.jpg, ''Suffren'' (''Suffren'' class)
Surface fleet (''Bâtiments de combat'')
Aircraft carrier (1)
File:French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) underway on 24 April 2019 (190424-M-BP588-1005).jpg, ''Charles de Gaulle''
Amphibious warfare / helicopter carriers (3)
File:French amphibious assault ship Dixmude (L9015) underway off Cadiz in May 2015.JPG, ''Dixmude'' (''Mistral'' class)
Major surface combatants (22)
The French Navy does not use the term "destroyer". While officially classed as "frigates", the larger major surface combatants of the first rank are nevertheless registered as destroyers (with hull numbers "Dxxx"; though, as of 2023, French Navy vessels are incrementally having hull numbers removed from display on all ships).
Offshore patrol vessels (19)
File:L'Astrolabe e Konk-Kerne 01.jpg, ''L'Astrolabe''
File:B2m .jpg, ''D'Entrecasteaux'' (''D'Entrecasteaux'' class)
File:Bâtiment de Surveillance et d'Assistance Hauturiers "Loire" 01.jpg, ''Loire'' (''Loire'' class)
File:FrenchNavyShipInBizerte.jpg, ''Commandant Bouan'' (''D'Estienne d'Orves'' class)
File:French offshore patrol vessel La Rèsolue (P734) moored in New Orleans on 19 April 2018 (180419-N-WW980-015).JPG, ''La Résolue'' (''La Confiance'' class)
File:Patrouilleur Outre-Mer-Illustration 1.jpg, Illustration: Patrouilleur Outre-mer - POM (Félix Éboué class)
Large Coastguard patrol boats (6)
File:French patrol ship Le Malin (P701) moored in Concarneau harbour.jpg, ''Le Malin''
File:Arago mg 5434.jpg, ''Arago'' (''Lapérouse'' class)
File:Le Fulmar à L'Isle-aux-Coudres (Québec) le 11 novembre 2020.jpg, ''Fulmar''
File:French Navy Flamant Class P676 entering Dunkirk harbour (7961651562).jpg, ''Flamant'' (''Flamant'' class)
Mine countermeasures vessels
File:Cassiopée.jpg, Former ''Cassiopée'' (''Éridan'' class)
File:Achéron recadré.jpg, ''Achéron'' (''Vulcain'' class)
File:BRS antares.jpg, ''Antarès'' (''Antarès'' class)
Auxiliary fleet
Replenishment ships
File:Somme mg 5849.jpg, ''Somme'' (''Durance'' class)
File:Jacques Chevallier A725-IMG 1202.JPG, ''Jacques Chevallier'' (''Jacques Chevallier'' class)
Intelligence, research and experimentation vessels
File:FS Monge.jpg, ''Monge''
File:Dupuy-de-Lome-photo10.jpg, ''Dupuy de Lôme''
File:Record SNSM 2015 - Thetis (4).jpg, ''Thétis'' (''Lapérouse'' class)
Survey vessels
File:Tonnerres de Brest 2012 - Pourquoi Pas - 001.jpg, ''Pourquoi pas?''
File:2015 Madeira Samsung (49).jpg, ''Beautemps-Beaupré''
File:FS LAPLACE A793.jpg, ''Laplace'' (''Lapérouse'' class)
Ocean tugboats
File:Abeille Liberté.jpg, ''Abeille Liberté''
File:Siem Garnet (32623659063).jpg, ''Abeille Normandie''
Port and coastal tugboats
File:FS Le Four 1.jpg, ''Le Four'' (RPC 12 class)
Support
File:Jason2013.jpg, ''Jason''
Training
File:VN Partisan Konk-Kerne 2018.jpg, ''Partisan''
File:VN Rebel 20160717 023.jpg, ''Rebel''
File:Batiment Guepard.jpg, ''Guépard'' (''Léopard'' class)
File:BIN Glycine A770.jpg, ''Glycine'' (''Glycine'' class)
File:Belle Poule.jpg, ''Belle Poule'' (''Paimpolaise'' class)
For a complete list of ''Bâtiments de soutien'' (Auxiliaries) se
Bâtiments de soutienat the official Marine Nationale website.
Silhouettes
Silhouettes of major fleet units:
See also
*
Future of the French Navy
*
Maritime Gendarmerie
The Maritime Gendarmerie () is a component of the French National Gendarmerie under operational control of the chief of staff of the French Navy. It employs 1,157 personnel and operates around thirty patrol boats and high-speed motorboats distri ...
*
List of active French Navy landing craft
*
List of ships of the line of France
*
List of battleships of France
*
List of French cruisers
*
List of destroyers of France
The following is a list of destroyers of France. In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerfu ...
*
List of French sail frigates
*
List of French steam frigates
References
External links
*
French Navy - Guide Book 2011*
French Navy - Facts & Figures 2011*
Marine Nationale - List of ships *
Marine Nationale - Blogs for individual ships*
Net Marine*
Alabordache
{{DEFAULTSORT:Current French Navy Ships
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
Active
Ships
A ship is a large vessel that travels the world's oceans and other navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished from boats, ...