France orders 7 corvettes reviving 2nd part of BATSIMAR program.

According to information published by the French MoD on November 23, 2023, the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) has ordered seven offshore patrol vessels (patrouilleurs hauturiers) for the French Navy on November 17, 2023. The order, amounting to a total of €900 million, is divided into three contracts.
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Artist rendering of the future offshore patrol vessel or patrouilleur hauturier. (Picture source: DGA)

The production contract has been awarded to a temporary consortium of CMN, Piriou, and Socarenam. Naval Group will provide assistance in project management and combat direction system development, while Thales has secured a contract to equip these vessels with the latest maritime surveillance equipment, including the Bluewatcher hull sonar, a compact multi-mission surveillance radar, and an IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) system.

The first phase of this high-sea patrol program aims to address a shortfall in second-tier naval vessels due to the decommissioning of existing high-sea patrol vessels. These vessels will enhance naval presence across three metropolitan coastlines: Brest, Toulon, and Cherbourg.

This initiative marks a shift from the original BATSIMAR program's intentions, now explicitly addressing the replacement of the D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso (A69 type avisos), not just the PHM (patrouilleurs de haute-mer). These new vessels will exhibit enhanced anti-submarine warfare (ASM) capabilities, new anti-aircraft combat features, and will operate as helicopter carrier ships.

The plan aligns with the Military Programming Law 2024-2030, aiming for a total of ten offshore patrol vessels in service by 2035, with the first delivery in 2026. These new vessels, approximately 90 meters in length and displacing 2000 tonnes, will be equipped with a 40mm RapidFire 40 CTA cannon and are designed to deploy helicopters or aerial drones.

Aviso

Originally, an aviso referred to a dispatch or advice boat, responsible for delivering orders in the era preceding effective long-distance communication. The term was later adopted by the French and Portuguese navies.

They used it to categorize their medium-sized warships tailored for colonial duties. In the French Navy, this term was used for the D'Estienne d'Orves-class patrol frigates up until 2012. Afterward, these ships were reclassified as offshore patrol ships (patrouilleurs hauturiers).