Direction générale de l'armement
During the inauguration of the 25th Euronaval trade show at Paris-Le Bourget, the French Minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian unveiled the design of the future “Frégates de Taille Intermédiaire” (FTI – medium-size frigate) on the Ministry of Defence stand.
The launch of this programme was decided mid-2015 during the update of the military programming law. Its calendar objective is ambitious since the first of the intermediate frigates unit is planned for delivery in 2023.
As first rank warships, the 5 new FTI will complete by 2030 the 8 multimission-Fremm frigates and the two Horizon air defence frigates, allowing the French Navy to fulfill its operational contract in a context of evolving threats. An FTI may be deployed on its own or in a joint or allied force, such as the carrier group.
To design this frigate within a limited timeframe, the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA – French Defence Procurement Agency) set up a collaborative platform. Equipped with the most advanced engineering tools, this platform brings together the experts of the DGA, the Navy and the Industry, mainly DCNS and Thales. Its effectiveness is now proven since the choice of architecture and main systems of the programme were agreed during an October 5 ministerial investment committee.
With a displacement of approximately 4,200 tons, a 125-strong crew, including aviation detachment, the FTI has capabilities in all warfare domains: anti-submarine, anti-air, anti-ship, and special forces projection. It can receive a helicopter and/or an airborne drone. Its new generation radar with fixed panels is fully digital and integrated within a single mast. The FTI is also characterized by a slightly inverted bow.
Versatile and enduring, first all-digital ship equipped with latest-generation equipment, the FTI is designed in a modular way in order to be able to evolve and adapt to the different needs of foreign navies.
