The French Armed Forces include the army, navy (Navy), aviation (Air Force) and the national gendarmerie. The French Navy consists of more than one hundred and eighty surface ships. This is the only European country that has a nuclear aircraft carrier in its fleet. Its submarine fleet consists of ten atomic submarines, four of which are armed with ballistic nuclear missiles.
Place of the Navy in the general structure of the French Armed Forces
The total number of French aircraft in 2014 was:
- in the army - 115 thousand people;
- in aviation - 45.5 thousand people;
- in the fleet - 44 thousand people (at the moment);
- medical staff and quartermasters - 17.8 thousand people;
- 98.2 thousand people in the gendarmerie
The French naval forces are manned on a contract basis. Officers for them are trained at the Naval Academy, admission to which is made by competition after two years of service. The total annual budget of the fleet exceeds 6 billion euros. The French Navy occupies 5th place in the world among fleets in terms of tonnage.
The motto of the fleet: “Honor, Fatherland, Valor, Discipline” is engraved in white letters on blue plates fixed on the superstructures of all ships.
Organizational structure
Chief of the Main Naval Staff, Vice Admiral of the squadron Arno de Tarle. The French Navy consists of four main operational components:
- operational naval forces (forces of influence - FAN) - surface fleet;
- Submarine Fleet (FSM);
- naval aviation (ALAVIA);
- Marine Corps and Special Forces (FORFUSCO).
In addition, the French national gendarmerie supports the naval forces with its patrol boats, which fall under the operational command of the French Navy.
Surface Fleet (FAN)
This component of the Navy has 12,000 people and about 100 ships, which makes up the backbone of the French fleet. Warships are divided into seven categories (groups):
- aircraft carrier group, the basis of which is the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle;
- a group of landing ships (amphibians) (currently ships of the Mistral class);
- frigates that act either as defenses for strategic groups, or alone in observation, reconnaissance, rescue missions or containment;
- minesweepers;
- warships deployed abroad and act as forces of presence and deterrence;
- support vessels;
- hydrographic and oceanographic vessels.
Surface Fleet Carrier Group
This group is the backbone of the French Navy and one of the components of the nuclear deterrence forces, as the Super Etendard and Rafale aircraft can carry nuclear weapons.
At a minimum, the tactical group of ships of the French Navy includes an aircraft carrier (currently Charles de Gaulle), an air defense frigate, and auxiliary vessels. As a rule, this group also includes several anti-submarine and anti-aircraft frigates, a torpedo nuclear submarine (of the Ryubi type or of the prospective Barracuda type), intended for torpedoing of surface ships and submarines and, possibly, additional support ships.
An air connection can include up to 40 units: Rafal, Super Etendard and Hokai E-2 aircraft, as well as NHI NH-90, AS365 Dauphin and Panther AS565 helicopters. This composition varies depending on the mission and tactical situation, and may include air assets from both the army and the air force.
A group of landing ships of the surface fleet
The French Navy has three large Mistral-class landing ships, commonly referred to as “helicopter carriers”, which carry various means of landing. On board are helicopters, troops, and land vehicles. This junction also includes five smaller vessels, which are located in Fort de France, Toulon, Papeete, Noumea, and Reunion.
An amphibious assault force also includes one or more TCD type transport ships carrying amphibious assault landing vehicles, vehicles and helicopters, and one or more BATRAL type light transport ships that are capable of delivering infantry units directly to the coast. They can carry Puma and Cougar sea transport helicopters or Gazelle and Tiger combat helicopters, trawling equipment, as well as naval assault units or army units.
French Navy Ships of the Frigate Class
They provide freedom of air and sea space and allow other components of the Navy to operate. Frigates are subdivided according to the threat they are called upon to repel, and, as a rule, accompany other forces (aircraft-carrying or landing groups of ships, submarines or civilian vessels).
- Four anti-aircraft frigates: two of them of the Horizon type and two of the Kassar type are designed to protect the aircraft carrier group from air threats. They also carry helicopters that can be used to fight submarines.
- Nine anti-submarine torpedo frigates (two types of "Tourville" + seven types of "Georges Leigh") carry towed sonars and helicopters, and also have anti-ship and anti-aircraft weapons.
- Eight multi-purpose frigates of the Aquitania type are intended in the future to replace existing anti-submarine frigates.
- Five Lafayette class frigates are used primarily to patrol national and international waters. They carry AS565 Panther or Link helicopters.
Submarine Fleet (FSM)
Submarine forces consist (at the beginning of 2010) of their following compounds:
- Squadrons of atomic submarines (nuclear submarines) for torpedo attacks of the Ryubi type, which do not have missile silos (are designated PLAT according to Russian classification and SSN according to NATO). These are the smallest nuclear submarines in the world. They are based in the military port of Toulon on the Cote d'Azur. The number of submarines in the squadron is six
- Ballistic missile squadrons of nuclear submarines (designated SSBN according to Russian classification and SSBN according to NATO). It includes four submarines of the Triumfan type, equipped with the 16th launcher of the M45 or M51 type. The squadron is based on the Il-Long operational base near Brest, where the first French Redoubt type SSBNs were previously located (from 1972 to 2007).
The firing range of M45 missiles is 6000 km, M51 - 9000 km. Both missiles are capable of carrying six nuclear warheads of 100 kilotons of TNT each.
French Maritime Aviation (ALAVIA)
This component of the Navy contains four components:
- The aircraft carrier group Charles de Gaulle, consisting of 16 multipurpose fourth-generation fighter aircraft Dassault Rafale, 8 supersonic carrier-based attack aircraft Dassault Super Etendard, and two-deck airborne early warning aircraft Grumman E-2 Hokai.
- 16 (as of 2015) Navy long-range aircraft of the Atlantic-2 type. They serve as patrols. fight against submarines, setting and detecting mines, long-range reconnaissance.
- Helicopters of the types “Dauphin”, “Panther”, “Links”, “Aluette III” on board the ships.
- Service units.
The main unit of French naval aviation is a flotilla (39 in total), usually consisting of 12 aircraft.
Marines and Special Forces (FORFUSCO)
They are grouped at a base in Lorient (Brittany region) and have a staff of 1,700. These forces participate in ground operations with intervention from the sea, operations of special forces, and protection of sensitive areas. It includes two components:
- Naval commandos, which include six specialized units: Jobert (attack and release of hostages), Tripoli (attack and release of hostages), Penfenteno (reconnaissance and reconnaissance), Montfort (support and destruction of the offensive), Hubert (actions of submarines) and Kiffer (command and struggle against new threats). They are often used by the French Special Operations Command (COS).
- Riflemen specializing in the protection and protection of ships and key sections of the French Navy on land. Their number is approximately 1900 people.