Extension of patrol vessel Arago's operations in French Polynesia until 2024.

French Minister of Defense, Florence Parly, has decided to extend the service time of the French Navy patrol vessel Arago by three years, pushing back its withdrawal date from 2021 to 2024. A technical analysis conducted by the French Navy has made it possible to confirm the feasibility of the extension of the Arago and its ability to ensure the missions of protection of national interests and State action at sea.
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French Navy's Arago patrol vessel in Polynesia (Picture source: French MoD)

This decision will ensure the presence of this type of vessel in French Polynesia over time, until the arrival of the first of the two Overseas Patrol Vessels (POM, Patrouilleurs Outre-Mer) based in Papeete, scheduled from 2023.

The extension of the Arago responds to a real operational need: missions of sovereignty and protection of French exclusive economic zones (EEZ, zones économiques exclusives), intervention against maritime pollution and in favor of the preservation of the environment, as well as rescue and assistance to people.

The military programming law 2019-2025 gives priority to the “patroller” component, essential for ensuring respect for French sovereignty in its maritime areas, which constitute the second largest maritime domain in the world. The Minister of the Armed Forces visited the Socarenam shipyard last week, which launched the construction of the first (of six) overseas patrol boats. These six ultra-modern and versatile ships will be deployed between 2021 and the end of 2025 in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Reunion Island.