Felix Eboué class (POM), Auguste Bénébig (P779)

Mathll · June 20, 2026, 2:56am

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Hello everyone and welcome to this new feature.

Today I’m presenting a new vessel from the POM (Overseas Patrol Vessels) class, also known as the Félix Eboué class: the Auguste Bénébig.

The POMs are a new series of French patrol vessels intended to replace the older P400-class patrol boats. Larger, faster, and better equipped, these vessels are designed to patrol French territorial waters in overseas territories and carry out surveillance, fisheries control, and anti-trafficking missions. This class comprises six vessels, three of which have already been delivered, and the remaining three are scheduled for delivery in the coming years (the final delivery is expected in 2028).

The Auguste Bénébig was the first vessel of the class to be delivered. Laid down in 2020 and entering operational service at the end of 2022, it is based in the port of Nouméa, where it replaced the patrol vessel P400 La Glorieuse in July 2023. From the start of its service, this ship has been involved in international exercises. Indeed, after less than a month of service, the Auguste Bénébig had already participated in Exercise OGURI-VERNY with a Japanese ship, as well as a maneuvering exercise with the various French ships in the area (CAGOU 23). Subsequently, it carried out its first deployment, tasked with patrolling the various French islands in the Pacific, making a port call in Australia during the same period. It is still currently patrolling this area and is expected to return to mainland France for the first time this year to undergo a refit incorporating the new technologies applied to the latest versions of the POMs (Patrol Boats Overseas).

The ship is named in honor of Auguste Bénébig, a soldier born in New Caledonia who participated in the Battle of France before joining the Free French Forces and serving with the Pacific Battalion at the Battle of Bir Hakeim and the Second Battle of El Alamein. He survived the war and returned to Nouméa where he spent the rest of his life as a mechanic.

Characteristics

Length : 80.00 m

Width : 12.00 m

Draft : 3.50 m

The vessel is powered by a hybrid diesel-electric engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 24 knots. Its range is 5,500 nautical miles at a speed of 12 knots, enabling it to navigate the vast areas of the French Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).

The crew is relatively small, consisting exclusively of 30 sailors. However, the vessel has 23 additional berths.

Equipment

Kelvin Hugues Mk11 SharpEye surveillance radar
Lyncea combat system
Day/night optical sensor

In addition, the ship can carry one or two Airbus Aliaca vertical takeoff drones; this lightweight drone can carry a 2-kilogram payload and allows the ship to perform advanced reconnaissance.
Aliaca | Airbus

Weapons

The ship’s armament is relatively light, consisting of small-caliber weapons allowing it to engage the various targets it may encounter during its missions. These include:

1 x 20 mm Narwhal-20B (the 20 mm remotely operated turret in the front allows targeting targets at long distances with a wide range of ammunition, the gun used is the Giat M693)
2 x 12.7 mm machine guns
2 x 7.62 mm machine guns

In-game, this ship would be an interesting addition to the French tech tree, providing a modern but lightly armed vessel capable of engaging all types of targets, thus making it a worthwhile addition.

Pictures

Video

Admission au service actif du patrouilleur outre-mer (POM) Auguste Bénébig
Présentation du POM - Patrouilleur Outre-Mer Auguste Bénébig
L’Auguste Bénébig, un atout pour la Marine nationale

Sources