French ship Dixmude (L9015)
Dixmude (L9015) is an amphibious assault ship, a type of helicopter carrier, of the French Navy. She is the third vessel to bear the name, and is the third ship of the Mistral class.
![]() BPC Dixmude in Jounieh bay, Lebanon 2012. | |
History | |
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Name: | Dixmude |
Namesake: | Fusiliers Marins at the battle of Diksmuide[1] |
Builder: | Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire |
Cost: | €451.6m[2] (FY 2012) |
Laid down: | 20 January 2010 at Saint-Nazaire[1] |
Launched: | 17 September 2010[3] |
Commissioned: | 27 December 2012 |
Homeport: | Toulon |
Identification: |
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Status: | in active service |
General characteristics | |
Class and type: | Mistral-class amphibious assault ship |
Displacement: |
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Length: | 199 m (653 ft) |
Beam: | 32 m (105 ft) |
Draught: | 6.3 m (21 ft) |
Installed power: | 4 × Wärtsilä 16V32 (4 × 6.2 MW (8,300 hp)) |
Propulsion: | Diesel-electric; two Rolls-Royce Mermaid azimuth thrusters (2 × 7 MW (9,400 hp)) with 5-bladed fixed pitch propellers |
Speed: | 18.8 knots (34.8 km/h; 21.6 mph) |
Range: |
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Capacity: | 2 barges, one Leclerc battalion, 70 vehicles |
Complement: |
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Armament: |
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Aircraft carried: | 16 heavy or 35 light helicopters |
Dixmude was delivered to the French defence procurement agency on 3 January 2012, three months ahead of schedule.[4]
Service history
In January 2013, Dixmude took part in Operation Serval, ferrying elements of the 92ème Régiment d’Infanterie to Mali.[5]
In April 2016, it was announced she would be part of the Anglo-French CJEX.[6]
In July 2018, the ship docked in Haifa port, Israel for a joint exercise with the Israeli Navy.[7]
In April 2020, the ship operated as part of a joint British, French and Dutch naval taskforce in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in overseas territories in the Caribbean. RFA Argus was involved in replenishing and supporting this mission.[8]
References
- Dixmude: mise sur cale du 3ème BPC (in French), French ministry of Defence.
- "Projet de loi de finances pour 2013 : Défense : équipement des forces" (in French). Senate of France. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 2014-09-26. Dixmude cost France €451.6m at FY2012 prices
- BPD Dixmude at EDA-R: la réponse aux nouvelles exigences de projection (in French), French ministry of Defence
- "DCNS and STX France Hand Over Mistral-Class Vessel BPC Dixmude". Shipbuilding Tribune. 17 January 2012. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
- "Opération Serval : embarquement immédiat pour le 92ème RI". French Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- "UK and France launch rapid deployment exercise". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- "French ambassador lauds joint exercise with Israel Navy". Ynetnews. 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
- "RFA Argus and FS Dixmude in the Caribbean". 30 April 2020.
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