FREMM-ASM, Aquitaine (D650)

Mathll · June 1, 2026, 3:35am

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Hello everyone and welcome to this new suggestion.

To continue my series of suggestions for modern French ships, I have the honor of presenting the French FREMM frigates (also known as the Aquitaine class). And to begin, here is the Aquitaine (D650).

In the early 2000s, France began receiving its La Fayette-class frigates. These were innovative due to their coating designed to reduce their radar signature. However, they had a major problem: their armament was too weak to make them true modern combat and defense vessels. Indeed, equipped only with short-range anti-aircraft missiles, a 100mm gun, and eight anti-ship missiles, these frigates could not handle modern warfare, particularly engagements with anti-ship missiles. Furthermore, the navies of Singapore and Saudi Arabia possess ships derived from this class but equipped with missile silos, making them true combat vessels. This is why the study of a new ship with enhanced capabilities began. Joined by Italy, which also wanted frigates of this type, the FREMM (Multi-Mission Frigate) project was launched. The first FREMM intended for France, the Aquitaine, was laid down in 2007 and entered service with the French forces in 2015 after three years of trials. It is an ASM (Anti-Submarine Warfare) FREMM and therefore has enhanced weaponry in this area.

Very soon after its deployment, the Aquitaine was assigned to protect the Charles de Gaulle (the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier), notably during Operation Chammal against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. In 2018, the ship participated in Operation Hamilton with the United States and the United Kingdom. This operation will highlight a number of technical problems with the ship, including the failure to launch sea-to-surface missiles due to a bug.

The FREMM participates in various deployments in French territorial waters, carrying out numerous operations worldwide, and has also contributed to the protection of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier within the carrier strike group on several occasions. In 2024, during a joint exercise, it successfully launched sea-to-surface missiles and hit a target, demonstrating that the problem that had affected it a few years earlier had been resolved.

Like all other ships of this class, the ship is named after a region of France, in this case, Aquitaine, a region in the southwest of the country.

Characteristics

Length : 142.00 m

Width : 20.00 m

Draft : 5.00 m

Displacement : 6000 tons

The ship is equipped with an Italian-made CODLOG (for combined diesel-electric or gas) propulsion system, consisting of a General Electric gas turbine and two electric motors, allowing it to reach a speed of 27 knots. Its range is 6000 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots. The crew consists of 145 sailors.

Equipment

The ship’s equipment is, as expected, particularly modern, featuring all the various systems for detecting and identifying ships and aircraft, as well as various defense capabilities.

Radar :

1 x Herakles multi-role ESA radar (Thales)
1 x Scanter 2001 navigation radar (Terma)

Sonar :

1 x UMS 4110 CL hull sonar (Thales)
1 x UMS 4249 CAPTAS 4 towed sonar (Thales)

Other sensors :

1 x ARTEMIS IRST (Thales)

Fire control :

1 x NAJIR for the 76mm gun
2 x SOFRESUD QPDs

Decoys :

1 x NGDS decoy launcher
2 x SLAT anti-torpedo decoys

In addition, the ship can embark one or two attack helicopters and all their equipment/weaponry, which greatly enhances its power projection capabilities. The embarked helicopters are either Panther or Caïman Marine, both capable of firing Exocet missiles and torpedoes. Drones such as the CAMCOPTER S-100 can also be embarked.

Weapons

Regarding its armament, this frigate boasts a particularly diverse range of weapons, enabling it to engage all types of targets.

Guns :

1 x 76mm/62SR OtoMelara/Leonardo
2 x 20mm Nexter Narwhal NWS
2 x 12.7mm M2 Browning

Torpedoes :

2 x twin torpedo tubes for Mu90 torpedoes (up to 19 torpedoes in hold)

Missiles :

32-cell VLS (vertical launching system)
- 16 x MBDA Aster 15 air-to-air missiles
- 16 x MBDA MdCN cruise missiles
8 x MM40 Exocet Blk 3 anti-ship missiles

It should be noted that all FREMM frigates are expected to receive a SIMBAD-RC system (based on the Mistral 3 missile) in the coming years, allowing them to effectively and cost-effectively counter drones.

This ship is obviously not meant to be added to the game right away; it’s a modern vessel equipped with technologies that aren’t currently available. However, if these technologies were to be added, it would be a particularly interesting addition, providing a ship capable of engaging all types of targets.

Pictures

Video

Embarquez à bord de la frégate Aquitaine !
La FREMM Aquitaine dans Northern Viking
La fregate Aquitaine, un batiment ultra-moderne à visiter à Bayonne

Sources