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Hello everyone and welcome to this new feature.
Today I’m presenting a new ship from the Floréal class, the Germinal (F735).
The Floréal class is a class of six French offshore patrol vessels (plus two for Morocco). This class of ships was built following a request from France to construct a series of vessels capable of carrying out patrol and surveillance missions in its exclusive economic zones (France possesses the largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering nearly 12 million square kilometers). These ships are therefore primarily designed for patrol but are nonetheless equipped with significant armament, which will evolve over time.
Laid down in 1992 and commissioned in 1994, the Germinal is the last of the Floréal class. This surveillance frigate has carried out a great many missions around the world, serving both to defend French interests and to provide humanitarian aid to islands during exceptional events. Indeed, from its earliest years of service, the Germinal participated in various operations, notably in Sierra Leone and the Mediterranean, before being assigned to the French Armed Forces in the Antilles (FAA), with which it carried out counter-narcotics missions, intercepting significant shipments weighing up to several tons. Today, the Floréal is still in service and continues to patrol the Caribbean Sea, conducting several new seizure operations each year.
The ship’s name is rather unusual. The Floréal-class vessels are named after months of the French Republican calendar, a calendar created during the French Revolution based on a decimal system intended to distance itself from religious references (abandoned by Napoleon I). Germinal is the name of the seventh month of the calendar, running from the current March 21/22 to the current April 19/20.
Characteristics
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Length : 93.5 m
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Width : 14 m
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Mass : 2950 tons
The ship is powered by 4 Pielstick 6 P.A.6 diesel engines of 6,470 kW each and has 2 propellers with adjustable blades. 3 electric generators of 590 kW each complete the ship’s energy system. This allows it to reach a speed of 20 knots maximum and to travel nearly 10,000 nautical miles at 15 knots without refueling. In addition, the ship can be refueled at sea.A bow thruster is also present at the front of the ship for port entry and exit maneuvers.
The crew is made up of around a hundred people, including personnel from the 36F squadron for the commissioning of the on-board helicopter.
Equipments
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Radar :
- DRBV-21 : Surveillance radar
- RACAL DECCA : Navigation and approach radar
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Decoys :
- Daguay Decoy Launcher
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Helicopter :
A helicopter is present in the ship’s aft hold and can be deployed on the helipad provided for this purpose. The aircraft on board was an Alouette III until the Panthers were put into service, which replaced them. This helicopter can carry weapons in order to carry out patrols and defend boats (warning shots have been fired against pirate boats).
Weapons
- Before 2015 :
- 1 x 100 mm/55 (3.9") Model 1968 CAMDAM canon (front gun)
- 2 x 20mm canon (a cannon mounted on each side)
- 2 x MM38 Exocet missiles (A missile launcher to each side)
In 2015, the ships underwent an evolution, making them more capable of carrying out their surveillance and counter-piracy missions but consequently making them less suitable for combat.
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Afer 2015 :
- 1 x 100 mm/55 (3.9") Model 1968 CAMDAM canon (front gun)
- 2 x 20mm canon (a cannon mounted on each side)
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Additional armament :
- Sambad System (a Sambad system launching short-range Mistral missiles can be installed above the helicopter hangar to defend the ship from aerial threats)
In the game, this ship would be interesting to say the least, bringing a modern frigate to France with only light armament, capable of facing various types of threats and defending itself properly, thus complementing the French tech tree in an interesting way.
Sources
- Frégates de surveillance | Ministère des Armées
- Les frégates de surveillance évoluent | Mer et Marine
- ImagesDéfense - Les frégates de surveillance Ventôse et Germinal amarrées à couple.
- ImagesDéfense - Passation de commandement à bord de la frégate de surveillance Germinal.
- * GERMINAL (1994/…)
- Le Germinal en patrouille dans les îles du Nord | Ministère des Armées
- FS Germinal F-735 Floreal class Frigate French Navy Marine
- Germinal F735 | Le portail des sous-marins
- La frégate Germinal intègre l’opération Atalante | Mer et Marine