French frigate Provence
{{other ships|French ship Provence}}
{{short description|FREMM class multi-purpose frigates in the French Navy}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=File:French frigate Provence (D652) underway in the Indian Ocean on 21 May 2019 (190521-N-VA840-0064).JPG |Ship caption=Provence underway on 21 May 2019 }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=France |Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|France|naval}} |Ship name= Provence |Ship namesake= Provence |Ship ordered= |Ship awarded= |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down=15 December 2010 |Ship launched=18 September 2013 |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened= |Ship completed=2015 |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned=12 June 2015 |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship maiden voyage= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport= Toulon{{Cite web|url=https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/la-fremm-provence-rallie-toulon-sa-nouvelle-base|title=La FREMM Provence rallie Toulon, sa nouvelle demeure|date=24 July 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.seaforces.org/marint/French-Navy/Destroyer-Frigate/D-652-FS-Provence.htm|title=FS Provence D-652 Frigate FREMM French Navy Marine Nationale}} |Ship identification=*{{MMSI Number|227999300}}
|Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship honors= |Ship captured= |Ship fate= |Ship status= Active |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= {{sclass|Aquitaine|frigate}} |Ship displacement= 6,000 tons |Ship length= {{convert|466|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} |Ship beam= {{convert|65|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} |Ship height= |Ship draught= {{convert|16|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} |Ship power= |Ship propulsion= *MTU Series 4000 (2.2 MW everyone) |Ship speed= {{convert|27|kn|lk=in}}; max cruise speed {{convert|15.6|kn|lk=in}} |Ship range={{convert|6000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn|lk=in}} |Ship endurance= |Ship complement=145 |Ship sensors=*Héraklès multi-purpose passive electronically scanned array radar
|Ship EW= |Ship armament=
|Ship armour= |Ship aircraft= 1 × NH90 helicopter |Ship aircraft facilities=Single hangar |Ship notes= }} |
Provence (D652) is an Aquitaine-class frigate of the French Navy. The Aquitaine class were developed as part of the FREMM multipurpose frigate program.{{Cite web|title=Aquitaine class FREMM Frigate French Navy Marine Nationale|url=http://www.seaforces.org/marint/French-Navy/Destroyer-Frigate/Aquitaine-FREMM-class.htm|access-date=2020-11-08|website=seaforces.org}}
Development and design
Original plans were for 17 FREMM to replace the nine {{sclass|D'Estienne d'Orves|aviso|0}} avisos and nine anti-submarine frigates of the {{sclass|Tourville|frigate|5}} and {{sclass|Georges Leygues|frigate|4}}es. In November 2005 France announced a contract of €3.5 billion for development and the first eight hulls, with options for nine more costing €2.95 billion split over two tranches (totaling 17).
Following the cancellation of the third and fourth of the {{sclass2|Horizon|frigate|2}}s in 2005 on budget grounds, requirements for an air-defence derivative of the FREMM called FREDA were placed – with DCNS coming up with several proposals.{{cite news|date=19 September 2007|title=FREMM : Supprimer des frégates, un non sens économique et stratégique?|language=fr|newspaper=Mer et Marine|url=http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/imprimer-article/58043|url-status=live|access-date=23 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518021529/http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/imprimer-article/58043|archive-date=18 May 2013}} Expectations were that the last two ships of the 17 FREMM planned would be built to FREDA specifications; however, by 2008 the plan was revised down to just 11 FREMM (9 ASW variants and 2 FREDA variants){{cite news | url=http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/imprimer-article/55295 | title=FREMM : 11 frégates multi-missions pour la flotte française | date=26 October 2008 | newspaper=Mer et Marine | language=fr | access-date=23 January 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054753/http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/imprimer-article/55295 | archive-date=21 September 2013 | url-status=live }} at a cost of €8.75 billion (FY13, ~US$12 billion).{{cite web|date=20 November 2014|title=Projet de loi de finances pour 2015 : Défense : équipement des forces|url=http://www.senat.fr/rap/a14-110-8/a14-110-819.html#toc308|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216190220/http://www.senat.fr/rap/a14-110-8/a14-110-819.html#toc308|archive-date=16 December 2014|accessdate=2015-02-22|publisher=Senate of France|language=French}} The 11 ships would cost €670 million (~US$760m) each in FY2014, or €860m (~US$980m) including development costs. In 2015, the total number of ASW variants was further reduced to just six units, including Provence.
Construction and career
Provence was developed as part of a joint Italian-French program known as FREMM, which was implemented to develop a new class of frigates for use by various European navies. Construction on the ship began in 2010 and was completed in 2015.{{cite journal|url=http://www.laprovence.com/actu/mer/4511661/la-ville-daix-officiellement-marraine-de-la-fregate-provence.html|title=La Ville d'Aix officiellement marraine de la frégate "Provence"|date=25 June 2017|periodical=La Provence}}
Provence operated in the north of the Indian Ocean from 23 December 2015, and the frigate briefly joined the {{USS|Harry S. Truman}} carrier strike group, then joined the {{ship|French aircraft carrier|Charles de Gaulle||2}} carrier strike group which in addition to Provence included the frigates {{ship|French frigate|Chevalier Paul||2}} and {{ship|French frigate|La Motte-Picquet||2}}, a nuclear attack submarine, the replenishment ship {{ship|French tanker|Marne||2}}, the British {{HMS|Defender|D36|6}} and the German {{ship|German frigate|Augsburg|F213|2}}, which accompanied them in the crossing of the Strait of Hormuz on 26 December as part of Opération Chammal. The Caiman Marine of the 33F flotilla embarked on Provence was able to show its ability to land on the American aircraft carrier.{{cite web|title=Les FREMM à pied d'œuvre au Moyen-Orient|url=http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/les-fremm-pied-doeuvre-au-moyen-orient|website=Mer et Marine|date=6 January 2016|access-date=2016-01-14|publication-date=}}
In March 2016, as part of Combined Task Force 150, the frigate made a major arms seizure off the coast of Somalia.{{cite web |url=https://www.defense.gouv.fr/actualites/international/ctf-150-la-fregate-provence-realise-une-importante-saisie-d-armes-au-large-de-la-somalie |title=Combined Task Force 150 : la frégate Provence réalise une importante saisie d'armes au large de la Somalie |work=defense.gouv.fr |date=24 March 2016 |access-date=23 November 2020 |language=French}}
From 18 November to 2 December 2021, Provence took part in Exercise Polaris 21 in the western Mediterranean Sea.{{cite web |url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/05/feedback-on-french-navy-high-intensity-exercise-polaris/ |title=Feedback On French Navy High Intensity Exercise POLARIS |work=Naval News |last=Manaranche |first=Martin |date=31 May 2022 |access-date=2 June 2022}} In October 2022, the frigate participated in joint exercises with the Croatian Navy in the Adriatic Sea.{{cite web |url=https://seawaves.com/2022/11/03/fs-provence-strengthens-bilateral-relationship-with-croatian-navy/ |title=FS Provence Strengthens Bilateral Relationship with Croatian Navy |work=Seawaves |date=4 November 2022 |access-date=4 November 2022}}
On 16 March 2025, Provence arrived at the Port of Colombo for a formal visit scheduled to last until 20 March 2025.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-16 |title=French Navy Ship Provence arrives in Colombo |url=https://news.navy.lk/eventnews/2025/03/16/202503161000/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250316174853/https://news.navy.lk/eventnews/2025/03/16/202503161000/ |archive-date=2025-03-16 |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=news.navy.lk}}
Gallery
File:FREMM Provence - Lorient 2014-08 a.JPG|Provence at Lorient on 2 August 2014.
File:FREMM Provence - Lorient 2014-08 b.JPG|Provence at Lorient on 2 August 2014.
File:HMS DEFENDER conducting joint military training with the French ship FS PROVENCE MOD 45159479.jpg|{{HMS|Defender|D36|6}} alongside Provence on 1 February 2016.
File:Joint Warrior 17-2 (37192864810).jpg|Provence leaving Glasgow on 1 October 2017.
File:Joint Warrior 17-2 (36780374523).jpg|Provence leaving Glasgow on 1 October 2017.
References
{{Commons category|D652 Provence (ship, 2015)}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Aquitaine class frigate}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Provence, French frigate}}