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Here we go. Terrible weather (video and picture camera got so much water on them it is a wonder they still work)

Video & Pictures: DCNS Delivers FREMM Frigate Languedoc to the French Navy

On 16 March 2016, DCNS delivered the FREMM frigate Languedoc intended for the French Navy, on the occasion of the acceptance ceremony by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation) on behalf of the French DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement). Navy Recognition was attending and we bring you video and picture coverage of the event.
Navy Recognition learned that during her deployment with USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, FREMM Provence was tasked as "sector air defense commander" while crossing the Hormuz strait. This shows the very high level of integration and interoperability of the French Navy and its latest surface combatant, the FREMM, with US forces and allies. It also illustrate that while air defence is not their primary mission, FREMMs are very capable air warfare platforms non the less, and truly multi role vessels.

Talking to Navy Recognition during the ceremony, Vice Admiral Jean Louis Lozier (in charge of naval programmes at the French Navy) explained that the induction of the Aquitaine-class frigates is a game changer for the French Navy bringing in new capabilities. FREMMs have the capability to cope with and offset emerging Anti-Access/Area-Denial (A2/AD) strategies emerging in some countries like Russia and China.

The French Navy is set to officially declare "ready for active duty" FREMM Provence in June 2016 and FREMM Languedoc at the end of the year following a long deployment period.

navyreco said:

DCNS Delivers FREMM Frigate Languedoc to the French Navy

On 16 March 2016, DCNS delivered the FREMM frigate Languedoc intended for the French Navy, on the occasion of the acceptance ceremony by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation) on behalf of the French DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement). Navy Recognition was attending and we bring you video and picture coverage of the event.

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Very good for the French! Outstanding vessels.

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Naval Today said:

French naval defence company DCNS on March 16 delivered the FREMM frigate Languedoc to the French Navy.

Languedoc is the fifth FREMM frigate to be built by DCNS and the third intended for the French Navy.

The ship was officially accepted by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation), an international organisation for the through-life management of cooperative defence equipment programmes, which has the role of contracting authority for FREMMs intended for France and Italy.

Apart from France, Royal Moroccan Navy and Egyptian Navy bought one ship each. FREMM Mohammed VI was delivered to Morocco in 2014 while the Egyptian Navy had their own FREMM, Tahya Misr, delivered in 2015.

According to DCNS, FREMMs are the first vessels in Europe to deploy the naval cruise missile MdCN. The first test firing of these missiles took place on May 19, 2015 from the FREMM Aquitaine.

Anne Bianchi, Director of the FREMM programme at DCNS, commented the occasion: “The delivery of the FREMM Languedoc represents an opportunity to highlight the serial effects of a programme that DCNS clients can take advantage of. It was possible to reduce the duration of the sea acceptance trials for the Languedoc frigate to five weeks, thanks to the experience acquired for the FREMMs already delivered.”

DCNS is set to build an overall of ten frigates eight of which will go to the French Navy. Six are expected to be delivered to the French Navy by 2019 while the remaining two will be fitted with strengthened anti-aircraft capabilities. DCNS said that these two frigates would be delivered in 2022.

The French company further said it was currently completing the FREMM Auvergne, which was floated on September 2, 2015, and was pursuing the assembly of the FREMM Bretagne. It has also started work on the eighth FREMM in the series, the Normandie.

At the start of the year, the Aquitaine and Provence FREMMs participated in the Task Force 50 actions in the Persian-Arabian Gulf, at the sides of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, designed, built and maintained by DCNS.

According to the fact file, the 142-meter ships are equipped with the Herakles multifunction radar, the naval cruise missile (MdCN), the Aster and Exocet MM 40 missiles or the MU 90 torpedoes. They can reach maximum speeds of 27 knots and have a range of 6,000 miles at a speed of 15 knots. The ships can be operated by a crew of 108, with the helicopter detachment included.

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Now this makes quite a lot more sense than the SSBN speculation:

Russian Submarine Detected by French Navy Likely a Former SSBN Converted For Spy Missions

Following the detection of what was reported to be a Russian SSBN by the French Navy, our colleagues from French naval magazine Le Marin are reporting that the submarine may actually be a former SSBN converted into a special purpose submarine for intelligence gathering mission. This assumption, coming from a "well connected source" is interesting and makes much more sense than the SSBN speculation.

The Russian Navy currently has two known "special purpose" submarine, the newest is the Podmoskovye (BS-64) and the oldest the Orenburg (BS-136).

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French Mirage 2000N with a special livery for its centenary "Escadron de chasse 2/4 Lafayette"

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Based to Istres have 23 Mirage 2000NK3

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navyreco said:

French Mirage 2000N with a special livery for its centenary "Escadron de chasse 2/4 Lafayette"

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For those wondering, yes that is the American flag this french bird is sporting. Back in WW1 aviation was still young but it quickly became apparent that the air was a war zone just as the trenches and waters of the North Sea. The French needed Pilots and all the Pilots they could muster, An American ex-pat Norman Prince and the Director of Intercultural programs Dr. Edmund Gros proposed an American Volunteer group. Where American Pilots would fight for France. the Idea was accepted.
In April of 1916 the Escadrille Américaine was founded. However the name quickly drew protest as the US was yet to actually enter the war and officially was a Neutral power. So Because of the Parallel between how American Pilots were giving aid to the French vs how the French had given aid to the Continental revolutionaries in the American war of independence, the Unit was renamed in honor of the French general who had commanded his nations forces in direct aid of the Revolutionaries Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette or Lafayette as we tend to call him in the states.

Much like how the Flying tigers operate early on sporting unique insignia from Official American aircraft but with native markings The Unit adopted a Unique insignia the Indian war chief.
If you look at the center of the image I am quoting off Forbin the number 100 is represented by the number 1 and then two roundels the first roundel is of course that of the French Air force the second is a early US insignia used from 1917 till 1918 and then with a slight color change from 1919 till 1942.
This insignia was not used by official US deployed aircraft in Europe however until the color change. Early Offical American Expeditionary forces used a insignia consisting of a circle with a red outer boarder a blue inner ring and a white center, that design was likely dropped as it strongly resembled both the French, British and Russian emblem of the time ( which could change to the red star after 1922) and later would be used by Czechoslovakia ( 1918 till 1920) and Bosnia ( 1992 - 2006). The Star emblem would be modified in 1942 to eliminate the red Dot for concern of confusion with the Japanese Rising sun and later in 1943 sprouted a bar behind it creating the emblem we all know today.

the LaFayette and Flying tigers were not the only cases of American Volunteer fighter pilots, In Poland the
Polish 7th Air Escadrille Kościuszko Squadron featured american Volunteers in 1919 who faught in the Polish Soviet War, Yankee Squadron was a American Mercenary band who fraught for the Spanish republic in the Spanish civil war and Eagle Squadrons were American pilots who served for the Royal Air force against the Germans in early WW2.

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Maybe too much but i bounce for other

BvS10 (VHM) on the deck of Mistral-class BPC Tonnerre

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