In Toulon, the destination base, the Force Replenishment Ship (BRF) of the French Navy, the “Jacques Stosskopf”, has arrived and will prepare to complete the crew’s training in readiness for service deployment.
This is the second of four BRFs ordered by the French Navy and built by Chantier de l’Atlantique, Naval Group, and Fincantieri, under their binational programme with Italy managed by OCCAR, the Joint Organization for Armament Cooperation.
The BRF class “Jacques Chevallier” are derived from the Logistic Support Ship Vulcano (A5335) of the Italian Navy and have received modifications to meet the needs and requirements of the French Navy.
The LSS programme, born from the need for the Italian Navy to replace its ageing Stromboli and Vesuvio fleet replenishers in service since the mid-1970s, has become binational as the French Navy has found the Italian project particularly suitable for replacing its Durance-class fleet replenishers.
Italy and France quickly agreed on the basis of their ongoing fruitful collaboration on Horizon-class air-defence ships and the FREMM programme; the Italian Navy is awaiting delivery of the second LSS, Nave Atlante, currently under testing.
Characteristics of the Jacques Chevallier class BRF
The Jacques Chevallier class BRFs displace 31,000 tonnes at full load, are 194 meters long, 27.6 meters wide, and have a draught of 9 meters.
The LSS/BRF ships have a double hull to avoid spills and to dock without restrictions according to current regulations; the French units have four multipurpose refuelling stations allowing for the simultaneous support of two ships with fuel and dry loads (goods, supplies and materials).
Unlike the LSS, which currently have a pair of manual control 25 mm KBA machine guns and prepared for a 76/62 mm plant, French BRFs have solid AA and Point Defense armament, based on two SIMBAD RC systems for MBDA Mistral 3 missiles and two CIWS systems and close Defense RapidFire 40 mm telescopic from Thales-KNDS (Nexter).
Source and photo credit @Marine Nationale
