French ship Dixmude (L9015)
{{short description|French amphibious assault ship}}
{{other ships|French ship Dixmude}}
| {{Infobox ship begin
}} {{Infobox ship image | Ship image = BPC Dixmude.jpg | Ship caption = BPC Dixmude in Jounieh bay, Lebanon 2012. }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header = | Ship country = France | Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|France|naval}} | Ship name = Dixmude | Ship namesake = Fusiliers Marins at the battle of Diksmuide | Ship owner = | Ship operator = | Ship registry = | Ship route = | Ship ordered = | Ship awarded = | Ship builder = Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire | Ship original cost = €451.6m{{Cite web | url=http://www.senat.fr/rap/a12-150-8/a12-150-814.html#toc183 | title=Projet de loi de finances pour 2013 : Défense : équipement des forces | language=French | publisher=Senate of France | date=22 November 2012 | accessdate=2014-09-26}} Dixmude cost France €451.6m at FY2012 prices (FY 2012) | Ship yard number = | Ship way number = | Ship laid down = 20 January 2010 at Saint-Nazaire[http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/a-la-une/dixmude-mise-sur-cale-du-3eme-bpc/%28language%29/fre-FR#SearchText=BPC%20Dixmude#xtcr=2 Dixmude: mise sur cale du 3ème BPC] {{in lang|fr}}, French ministry of Defence. | Ship launched = 17 September 2010[http://www.defense.gouv.fr/dga/actualite/bpc-dixmude-et-eda-r-la-reponse-aux-nouvelles-exigences-de-projection/%28language%29/fre-FR#SearchText=BPC%20Dixmude#xtcr=1 BPD Dixmude at EDA-R: la réponse aux nouvelles exigences de projection] {{in lang|fr}}, French ministry of Defence | Ship sponsor = | Ship christened = | Ship completed = | Ship acquired = | Ship commissioned = 27 December 2012 | 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 | Ship identification = *Pennant number: L9015
| Ship motto = | Ship nickname = | Ship honours = | Ship honors = | Ship captured = | Ship fate = | Ship status = {{ship in active service}} | Ship notes = | Ship badge = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship class = {{sclass|Mistral|amphibious assault ship}} | Ship tonnage = | Ship displacement = *16,500 t (empty)
| Ship length = {{convert|199|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|32|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} | Ship height = | Ship draught = {{convert|6.3|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} | Ship depth = | Ship hold depth = | Ship decks = | Ship deck clearance = | Ship ramps = | Ship ice class = | Ship power = 4{{nbsp}}×{{nbsp}}Wärtsilä 16V32 (4{{nbsp}}×{{nbsp}}{{convert|6.2|MW|abbr=on}}) | Ship propulsion = Diesel-electric; two Rolls-Royce Mermaid azimuth thrusters (2{{nbsp}}×{{nbsp}}{{convert|7|MW|abbr=on}}) with 5-bladed fixed pitch propellers | Ship speed = {{convert|18.8|kn}} | Ship range = *{{convert|10800|km|nmi|disp=flip}} at {{convert|18|kn}}
| Ship endurance = | Ship boats = | Ship capacity = 2 barges, one Leclerc battalion, 70 vehicles | Ship troops = | Ship complement = *20 officers
| Ship crew = | Ship time to activate = | Ship sensors = | Ship EW = | Ship armament =
| Ship armour = | Ship armor = | Ship aircraft = 16 heavy or 35 light helicopters | Ship aircraft facilities = | Ship notes = }} |
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 {{sclass|Mistral|amphibious assault ship|4}}.
Dixmude was delivered to the French defence procurement agency on 3 January 2012, three months ahead of schedule.{{cite web|title=DCNS and STX France Hand Over Mistral-Class Vessel BPC Dixmude |url=http://shipbuildingtribune.com/2012/01/17/dcns-and-stx-france-hand-over-mistral-class-vessel-bpc-dixmude/ |publisher=Shipbuilding Tribune |accessdate=18 January 2012 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120713193606/http://shipbuildingtribune.com/2012/01/17/dcns-and-stx-france-hand-over-mistral-class-vessel-bpc-dixmude/ |archivedate=13 July 2012 |date=17 January 2012 |url-status=dead}}
Service history
In January 2013, Dixmude took part in Operation Serval, ferrying elements of the 92ème Régiment d'Infanterie to Mali.{{cite web|title=Opération Serval : embarquement immédiat pour le 92ème RI|url=http://www.defense.gouv.fr/terre/a-la-une/operation-serval-embarquement-immediat-pour-le-92e-ri|publisher=French Ministry of Defence|accessdate=4 April 2013|date=}}
In April 2016, it was announced she would be part of the Anglo-French military exercise CJEX.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-france-launch-rapid-deployment-exercise |title=UK and France launch rapid deployment exercise |publisher=Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) |date=10 April 2016 |access-date=10 April 2016}}
In July 2018, the ship docked in Haifa port, Israel for a joint exercise with the Israeli Navy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5308403,00.html|title=French ambassador lauds joint exercise with Israel Navy|date=2018-11-07|work=Ynetnews|access-date=2018-07-11|language=en}}
In October 2018, a French NH90 helicopter crashed on takeoff when mooring lashing was left tied, and this damaged the flight deck.{{cite web | last=Ranter | first=Harro | title=Accident NHIndustries NH90 TTH Caïman 1332 | publisher=Aviation Safety Network | date=20 July 2020| url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/216407}} The crash occurred at night, leaving 4 injured and 1 required medical evacuation.
In April 2020, the ship operated as part of a joint British, French and Dutch naval task force in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in overseas territories in the Caribbean. RFA {{RFAux|Argus|A135|2}} was also present as the UK's commitment to supporting British Overseas Territories along with {{HMS|Medway|P223|6}} as the Caribbean guard ship.{{cite web|url= https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2020/april/30/200430-argus-and-dixmude|title=RFA Argus and FS Dixmude in the Caribbean|date=30 April 2020}}
In February 2023, Dixmude was tasked to initiate an around the world deployment accompanied by the frigate {{ship|French frigate|La Fayette||2}}. The deployment was to involve a series of exercises and port calls en route, including at several French overseas territories. For the deployment, Dixmude embarked one of the new EDA-S landing craft, along with one EDA-R and one CTM landing craft.{{Cite web|url=https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/02/french-mission-jeanne-darc-2023-to-sail-across-indo-pacific/ |title=French Mission Jeanne D'Arc 2023 To Sail Across Indo-Pacific |date=3 February 2023|website=Naval News |last=Vavasseur |first=Xavier}} The two vessels returned to Toulon in July.{{Cite web|url=https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/defense/jeanne-d-arc-le-pha-dixmude-et-la-fregate-la-fayette-sont-rentres-a-toulon |title=Jeanne d'Arc : le PHA Dixmude et la frégate La Fayette sont rentrés à Toulon |date=17 July 2023|website=Mer et Marine |last=Groizeleau |first=Vincent}}
In November 2023, Dixmude deployed to Arish, Sinai, Egypt; to serve as a floating hospital for Gazan relief in the Gaza war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip. Its helicopter pad also allows for aeromedievac. The ship's 40 sick bay beds represents some 10% of available hospital beds in northern Sinai at the border with Gaza, in late 2023. {{cite news |url= https://www.timesofisrael.com/french-floating-hospital-docks-off-coast-of-egypt-to-treat-wounded-gazans/ |title= French floating hospital docks off coast of Egypt to treat wounded Gazans |author= Jacob Magid |date= 28 November 2023 |newspaper= The Times of Israel }} By late January 2024, about 1000 patients had been treated aboard the warship turned field hospital-hospital ship. {{cite news |url= https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240121-french-warship-turned-field-hospital-treats-injured-gazans-off-egyptian-coast |title= French warship turned field hospital treats injured Gazans off Egyptian coast |date= 21 January 2024 |agency= France 24 }}
In October 2024, Dixmude was deployed to the Lebanon coast in preparation to evacuate Western citizens from the intense Israeli bombardment and invasion of Lebanon in the Hezbollah-Israel front of the Gaza war. {{cite news |url= https://www.reuters.com/world/france-says-it-is-sending-helicopter-carrier-eastern-mediterranean-2024-10-01/ |title= France says it is sending helicopter carrier to eastern Mediterranean |date= 1 October 2024 |agency= Reuters }}
References
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Further reading
- {{cite book |last1=Moulin |first1=Jean |title=Tous les porte-aéronefs en France: de 1912 à nos jours |date=2020 |publisher=Lela Presse |location=Le Vigen, France |isbn=978-2-37468-035-4|language=fr|trans-title=All the Aircraft Carriers of France: From 1912 to Today|series=Collection Navires et Histoire des Marines du Mond; 35}}
{{Commons category|Dixmude (L9015)}}
{{Mistral class amphibious assault ship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixmude}}
Category:Mistral-class amphibious assault ships