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French Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels to Receive RapidFire 40mm Cannon for Enhanced Air and Drone Defense.
According to Le Marin in an article dated May 17, 2025, the first RapidFire turret intended for the future series of offshore patrol vessels (PH) of the French Navy has completed its industrial trials. This milestone marks the beginning of integrating this modern weapon system on a new generation of multi-mission vessels, designed to replace the aging high seas patrol vessels (PHM) and public service patrol vessels (PSP). Developed by Nexter and Thales, the 40mm RapidFire Naval cannon is expected to become a standard weapon on several classes of French Navy platforms, with broad multirole potential.
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The RAPIDFire is a 40mm multi-role artillery system developed by Thales and KNDS to meet very short-range defense needs against air and surface threats, including drones, light aircraft, and missiles. (Picture source: French MoD)
The RapidFire has already been installed on the Jacques Chevallier-class fleet replenishment vessels (BRF), each fitted with two turrets. Four systems have been delivered to date. Another turret is being used for test purposes on Île du Levant. The upcoming installation on an offshore patrol vessel will represent a new phase in the operational deployment of the system. Beyond the PH and BRF, this cannon is also being considered for the future mine countermeasure vessels (BGDM), and potentially for the French next-generation aircraft carrier (PANG), as well as other ships through retrofit programs.
The RAPIDFire is a 40mm multi-role artillery system developed by Thales and KNDS to meet very short-range defense needs against air and surface threats, including drones, light aircraft, and missiles. Based on the 40 CTAS (Cased Telescoped Ammunition System), RAPIDFire is fully remote-operated and integrates a gyro-stabilized optronic fire control system. It enables target detection, identification, and engagement by a single operator. The system can fire up to 180 rounds per minute, holds 140 ready-to-fire rounds in the turret, and has an effective range of up to 4,000 meters.
Designed for both naval and land environments, RAPIDFire is intended to equip second-rank vessels of the French Navy (BRF, PH, BGDM), as well as provide mobile protection for land forces. It is characterized by its firing accuracy, advanced tracking algorithms, and real-time switching between five ammunition types, including the programmable A3B airburst round designed to counter drones and missiles. Compact, lightweight, and quick to deploy, it is a point defense solution suitable for both new platforms and modernized existing units.
The offshore patrol vessel program, overseen by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), includes a target of ten ships, seven of which have already been ordered for delivery between 2027 and 2030. The remaining three are planned between 2031 and 2034, per the current Military Planning Law. With a total budget of €900 million, the order is distributed among three French shipyards: Piriou (Concarneau), CMN (Cherbourg), and Socarenam (Boulogne-sur-Mer/Saint-Malo), under the overall technical design lead of Naval Group.
The future PHs will be 92 meters long, with a displacement of nearly 2,400 tons when fully loaded—making them the largest patrol vessels ever commissioned by the French Navy. Their endurance will reach 6,000 nautical miles over 30 days without refueling, supported by a quiet diesel-electric propulsion system consisting of two fixed-pitch propellers driven by electric motors powered by 3,850 kW diesel engines via 550 kW converters. Two bow thrusters will enhance maneuverability during port and coastal operations. With a top speed of 21 knots, slightly lower than the PHM class (23.5 knots), these ships prioritize endurance to meet evolving operational requirements.
In terms of equipment, the PHs will be fitted with Thales’ NS54 three-dimensional multifunction radar, an IFF system, a BlueWatcher hull-mounted sonar, two Wartsila SAM navigation radars, optronic sensors, and electronic warfare capabilities. The new SETIS-C combat management system from Naval Group, an evolution of the SETIS used on FREMM frigates, will integrate and manage these systems. The primary armament will include the 40mm RapidFire cannon, 12.7mm and 7.62mm machine guns, and optionally a Simbad-RC system with Mistral 3 surface-to-air missiles.
The vessels will also feature two fast boats up to 8.5 meters in length, a hangar, and a flight deck compatible with an NH90 Caïman Marine helicopter or an H160 Guépard Marine. They will also be capable of operating unmanned aerial systems. Designed for automation, each vessel will be operated by a crew of 54, with accommodation for an additional 30 personnel, including special forces detachments.
Although their armament is lighter compared to the older A69-class avisos, originally built for coastal anti-submarine warfare during the Cold War, the new PHs reflect a shift in mission profiles, now centered on surveillance, rapid response, and operations in asymmetrical and hybrid threat environments. The adoption of the RapidFire system underscores this transition toward efficient point defense and swift target engagement capabilities, particularly relevant in confined maritime areas.
The six remaining PHMs in service (three in Brest, three in Toulon) are set to be progressively decommissioned between 2025 and 2027, after over 40 years in service. In parallel, the three PSPs based in Cherbourg (Flamant, Cormoran, and Pluvier), built in 1997, are scheduled for retirement around 2027 unless their service is extended. This transition period will likely create a temporary capability gap, which the new PHs will gradually fill from 2027 onward.
The ten new PHs will be distributed across the French Navy’s three metropolitan bases: four in Brest, three in Cherbourg, and three in Toulon. Their long-range deployment capabilities will support missions extending to West Africa and the Indian Ocean, including participation in operations such as Corymbe, or in civilian evacuation and humanitarian response missions.
With the progressive integration of the RapidFire system and SETIS-C architecture on the future PHs, the French Navy is adapting its maritime surveillance and intervention assets to address current operational challenges, including drone threats, fast missiles, asymmetrical tactics, and conflict hybridization. This technological choice could also influence the design approach of other naval programs, including those of allied navies seeking effective short-range defense solutions.