French DGSE diving support vessel Alize departs South France.

According to a tweet published by WarshipCam on May 4, 2023, the French DGSE (Directorate-General for External Security) diving support vessel Alize has left Toulon for an unknown destination.
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French diving support vessel Alize. (Picture source: Marine Nationale)

Launched on November 26, 2004 in Cherbourg, the vessel was commissioned on November 8, 2005. Her home port is Toulon and she was built in Boulogne-sur-Mer by SOCARENAM.

Assigned to the Naval Action Force, the Alizé performs various maritime operations. In addition to specific facilities for the deployment of divers (dry and wet changing rooms, storage, and conditioning of diving equipment, classrooms, workshop), the vessel is equipped with a two-seater hyperbaric chamber and specialized medical facilities.

With a helicopter platform, she can operate an NH90 helicopter. The Alizé is 60 meters long and has a tonnage of 1,500 tonnes. Her crew is composed of 17 men and it can accommodate up to 30 passengers.

Her specifications include a length of 60 meters, a beam of 13.80 meters, a draft of 4.90 meters, an air draft of 22.40 meters, a displacement of 1,100 tonnes, a deadweight of 1,600 tonnes, and a power of 3,800 horsepower from two ABC 6 DZC diesel engines and a 300 horsepower bow thruster. It has a top speed of 14 knots.

In terms of armament, the Alizé is equipped with two 12.7 mm machine guns, and in terms of electronics, she has two Racal-Decca DRBN-38 radars. Her range is 8,000 nautical miles at a speed of 12 knots.