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77-762: The battalion is a branch of the French Navy ( French : Marine nationale ), and consists of fully military personnel, like the Paris Fire Brigade (a branch of the French Army ), and PGHM (a branch of the French Gendarmerie ). Nearly half of all candidates fail the battalion's rigorous training program. Formed by Royal Order on 14 August 1719 as the Marseille Arsenal Fire Battalion and its jurisdiction

154-455: A double hull , with an internal hull outside the pressure hull . During this period, France was the first navy to have a substantial submarine force. These 200-ton submarines had a range of over 100  nmi (190  km ; 120  mi ) surfaced and 10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) submerged. Aigrette , launched 1904, offered further improvement by running a diesel motor while surfaced. Seventy-six submarines were completed by 1914. At

231-703: A French port and elsewhere in French possessions . Following the defeat during the Battle of France , only three submarines joined the Free French Naval Forces in 1940, Rubis , Narval (sunk by a naval mine on 21 December 1940), and Surcouf (accidentally sunk or by misunderstanding during the night of the 18 and 19 February 1942). One submarine was sunk during the Norwegian Campaign and subsequently several French submarines under

308-548: A Marseille Marine Fire unit. This battalion and the services attached to it are controlled by a senior naval officer ... " The Marseille Naval Fire Brigade has today a military status and is commanded by a vice-admiral. The BMPM consists of 2,400 personnel and 700 vehicles. In 2009, the BMPM responded to 118,000 operations and to 108 000 in 2010. In 2011, it carried 111,700 interventions, an average of 285 per day, approximately one every 5 minutes, with more than two thirds regarding

385-400: A critical role in establishing and securing the French colonial empire for over 400 years. The French Navy pioneered several innovations in naval technology, including the first steam-powered ship of the line , first seagoing ironclad warship , first mechanically propelled submarine , first steel-hulled warship, and first armoured cruiser . The French Navy consists of six main components:

462-732: A decade long, followed by the War of the Austrian Succession in the 1740s. Principal engagements of these wars include the Battle of Vigo Bay and two separate Battles of Cape Finisterre in 1747. The most grueling conflict for the Navy, however, was the Seven Years' War , in which it was virtually destroyed. Significant actions include the Battle of Cap-Français , the Battle of Quiberon Bay , and another Battle of Cape Finisterre . The Navy regrouped and rebuilt, and within 15 years it

539-635: A fleet of offshore and coastal patrol vessels, mine countermeasures vessels as well as auxiliaries and support ships. The French Naval Aviation is officially known as the Aéronautique navale and was created on the 19 June 1998 with the merging of Naval patrol aircraft and aircraft carrier squadrons. It has a strength of around 6,800 civilian and military personnel operating from four airbases in Metropolitan France. The Aéronavale has been modernized with 40 Rafale fighters which operate from

616-955: A fourth Battle of Ushant (known in English as the Glorious First of June ), the Battle of Groix , the Atlantic campaign of May 1794 , the French expedition to Ireland , the Battle of Tory Island , and the Battle of the Nile . Other engagements of the Revolutionary Wars ensued in the early 1800s, including the Battle of the Malta Convoy and the Algeciras Campaign . The Quasi-War wound down with single-ship actions including USS Constellation vs La Vengeance and USS Enterprise vs Flambeau . When Napoleon

693-584: A maritime force of patrol boats that falls under the operational command of the French Navy: During most of the Cold War, the Navy was organised in two squadrons based in Brest and Toulon, commanded by ALESCLANT ( Amiral commandant l'escadre de l'Atlantique ) and ALESCMED ( Amiral commandant l'escadre de la Méditerranée ) respectively. Since the post-Cold War restructuring process named Optimar '95,

770-493: A newer generation, the Le Triomphant class , are in service in 2010 in the force océanique stratégique of the French Navy : The armament systems of the ballistic missile submarines include in general: The mission of a French nuclear ballistic missile submarine is simple: leave the designated port of attachment, in the most discreet possible way, remain undetectable all along the mission to be able at any moment launch

847-556: A rapid pace that it was superfluous. Isolated engagements between French and German ships took place in other theaters, but the war was over in a matter of weeks. The Navy continued to protect colonial safety and expansion under the French Third Republic . The Sino-French War saw considerable naval action including the Battle of Fuzhou , the Battle of Shipu , and the Pescadores Campaign . In Vietnam,

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924-490: A wide range of fighting vessels, including various aeronaval forces, attack and ballistic missile submarines , frigates , patrol boats and support ships, with aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle serving as the centerpiece of most expeditionary forces. The history of French naval power dates back to the Middle Ages , and had three loci of evolution: The first true French Royal Navy ( French : la Marine Royale )

1001-574: Is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of France . It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in the world recognised as being a blue-water navy . The French Navy is capable of operating globally and conducting expeditionary missions, maintaining a significant overseas presence . The French Navy is one of eight naval forces currently operating fixed-wing aircraft carriers , with its flagship Charles de Gaulle being

1078-546: The Durance class are being replaced under the FLOTLOG project by up to four derivatives of Italy's Vulcano -class logistic support ship , with three being delivered from 2023 to 2027. A fourth potential ship is delayed until after 2030. Construction has started on the first of six Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarines ; commissioning of Suffren took place in 2020. These nuclear attack submarines are to be followed in

1155-558: The Georges Leygues class , but plans to buy a possible seventeen FREMMs were cut back to eleven and then to eight. The cancellation of the third and fourth Horizon destroyers meant that the last two FREMM hulls, which entered service between 2021 and 2023, are fitted out as FREDA air-defence ships to replace the Cassard class . DCNS has shown a FREMM-ER concept to meet this requirement, emphasising ballistic missile defence with

1232-506: The 2013 French White Paper on Defence and National Security . The French Navy operates three amphibious assault ships , ten air defence and anti-submarine frigates , five general purpose frigates and has a commitment to six fleet submarines (SSNs). These vessels, with the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle , constitute the French Navy's main ocean-going war-fighting force, while the four ballistic missile submarines ( SSBN ) of

1309-701: The Amiral ( Admiral ) Commandant of the Strategic Oceanic Force ( French : Commandant la Force Océanique Stratégique, ALFOST ), commands the submarine forces, under the authority of the Chief of Staff of the French Navy ( French : Chef d'Etat-Major de La Marine ). The first submarine not to use human propulsion was French submarine  Plongeur  (2) of the French Imperial Navy ( French : Marine Impériale Française ),

1386-609: The Battle of Grenada , the invasion of Dominica , and three separate Battles of Ushant . Within less than a decade, however, the Navy was decimated by the French Revolution when large numbers of veteran officers were dismissed or executed for their noble lineage. Nonetheless, the Navy fought vigorously through the French Revolutionary Wars as well as the Quasi-War . Significant actions include

1463-598: The Battle of Navarino , and throughout the rest of the century they generally behaved in a manner that paved the way for the Entente Cordiale . Charles X sent a large fleet to execute the invasion of Algiers in 1830 . The next year, his successor, Louis Philippe I , made a show of force against Portugal at the Battle of the Tagus , and in 1838 conducted another display of gunboat diplomacy , this time in Mexico at

1540-509: The Battle of Veracruz . Beginning in 1845, a five-year Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata was imposed on Argentina over trade rights. The Emperor Napoleon III was determined to follow an even stronger foreign policy than his predecessors, and the Navy was involved in a multitude of actions around the world. He joined in the Crimean War in 1854; major actions for the Navy include

1617-792: The Fifth Republic ; it was last granted in 1869, during the Second Empire , but retained during the Third Republic until the death of its bearer in 1873. The title of amiral de la flotte was created so that Darlan would not have an inferior rank than his counterpart in the British Royal Navy , who had the rank of Admiral of the Fleet . The rank insignia of commissioned officers . The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel . Unlike in

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1694-522: The French Army and Air and Space Force , one does not prepend mon to the name of the rank when addressing an officer (that is, not mon capitaine, but simply capitaine ). The main military musical unit of the French Navy is the Military Band of the Toulon Fleet ( French : La musique des équipages de la flotte de Toulon ), founded on 13 July 1827. The Bagad Lann Bihoue , based on

1771-793: The Naval Action Force , the Submarine Forces ( FOST and ESNA ), French Naval Aviation , the Navy Riflemen (including Naval Commandos ), the Marseille Naval Fire Battalion , and the Maritime Gendarmerie . As of 2021, the French Navy employed 44,000 personnel (37,000 military and 7,000 civilian), more than 180 ships, 200 aircraft, and six commandos units; as of 2014, its reserve element numbered roughly 48,000. It operates

1848-627: The Norwegian Campaign , the Dunkirk evacuation and, briefly, the Battle of the Mediterranean . However, after the fall of France in June 1940, the Navy was obligated to remain neutral under the terms of the armistice that created the truncated state of Vichy France . Worldwide, some 100 naval vessels and their crews heeded General Charles de Gaulle 's call to join forces with the British, but

1925-876: The Royal Navy until the end of the war. In the Pacific theatre as well, Free French vessels operated until the Japanese capitulation; Richelieu was present at the Japanese Instrument of Surrender . The Navy later provided fire support and troop transport in the Indochina War , the Algerian War , the Gulf War , and the Kosovo War . Since 2000, the Navy has given logistical support to

2002-556: The Troupes de la marine , the former of which maintained two drums (tambour) and a fife . France's financial problems have affected all branches of her military. The 2013 French White Paper on Defence and National Security cancelled the long-planned new aircraft carrier and a possible fourth Mistral -class amphibious assault ship . The backbone of the fleet will be the Aquitaine -class FREMM anti-submarine frigates , replacing

2079-611: The War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) as well as the global War on Terror . In 2011, it assisted Opération Harmattan in Libya. The chief of the naval staff is Vice-admiral d’escadre Arnaud de Tarlé , and as of 2014 the Navy has an active strength of 36,776 military personnel and 2,909 civilian staff. The Navy is organised into four main operational branches: In addition, the National Gendarmerie of France maintain

2156-544: The bagad bands in Bretagne , is currently the sole pipe band in the service of the French Navy, which uses bagpipes and bombards , and thus is affiliated to the band. In Canada , French naval music has affected the traditions of Canadian navy bands . French navy bands in the country date back to the era of New France . Musical units were primarily attached to the Compagnies Franches de la Marine and

2233-725: The siege of Petropavlovsk and the Battle of Kinburn . The Navy was heavily involved in the Cochinchina Campaign in 1858, the Second Opium War in China, and the French intervention in Mexico . It took part in the French expedition to Korea and the Shimonoseki campaign . In the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the Navy imposed an effective blockade of Germany, but events on land proceeded at such

2310-698: The "rescue victim" (prehospital care). The battalion is commanded by a naval flag officer (currently Vice Admiral Charles-Henri Garié) as part of the Marseille garrison. He reports to the Minister of Defence , the Minister of the Interior and the Mayor of Marseille. Thus, rank insignia follow the French Navy practice. French Navy The French Navy ( French : Marine nationale , lit.   'National Navy'), informally La Royale ,

2387-480: The 2030s by the incremental introduction of a new class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) whose construction began in 2024. The first MM40 Exocet Block 3 missile was test-fired in 2010 to be produced. Naval versions of the SCALP EG land-attack cruise missile are under development, along with a planned Aster Block 1NT with greater capabilities against ballistic missiles. In October 2018,

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2464-596: The 20th century as the naval arms race between Germany and Great Britain grew in intensity. It entered World War I with relatively few modern vessels, and during the war few warships were built because the main French effort was on land. While the British held control of the North Sea, the French held the Mediterranean, where they mostly kept watch on the Austro-Hungarian Navy . The largest operations of

2541-599: The 28 October 1938 fire of the New Galleries, located on the Canebière, which caused the death of 73 people . Edouard Daladier, Prime Minister, observes the professionalism of the Toulon marine brigade and the quality of their equipment. He decides to entrust the security of Marseille to a military unit. The Decree-Law of 23 July 1939 is the "birth" of Marseille Naval Fire Battalion and begins with this: "It's created

2618-506: The 600 tons type ( Ondine was lost in 1928 and Nymphe was condemned in 1938) plus six minelaying submarines of the Saphir class and the cruiser submarine Surcouf , which displaced 3,300 tons, being the largest submarine in the world at that time. At the Armistice of 22 June 1940 , 602 type 550mm and 187 type 400mm torpedoes along with 332 naval mine types were available in

2695-529: The Allies invaded French North Africa . But the confrontations were set aside once the Germans occupied Vichy France . The capital ships were a primary goal of the occupation, but before they could be seized they were scuttled by their own crews . A few small ships and submarines managed to escape in time, and these joined de Gaulle's Free French Naval Forces , an arm of Free France that fought as an adjunct of

2772-570: The Americas; Port des Galets and Dzaoudzi in the Indian Ocean; and Nouméa and Papeete in the Pacific. In addition, the navy shares or leases bases in foreign locales such as Abu Dhabi , Dakar and Djibouti . Although French naval doctrine calls for two aircraft carriers , the French only have one, Charles de Gaulle . Originally a planned order for French aircraft carrier PA2

2849-530: The FOSt until their retirement. Since 1970, the French submarine fleet consisted of: On 1 November 1970, the 1st squadron, numbering 11 units, were designated as Submarines Squadron of the Mediterranean (ESMM, then ESMED) and the 2nd squadron created in 1947 which comprised eight vessels, six of Narval class and two of the Daphné class, became the Submarine Squadron of the Atlantic (ESMA, then ESMAT). Four Agosta -class vessels were placed into service in 1977 and 1978 with retirement in 2001. On 28 January 1972,

2926-437: The French Ministry of Defence launched an 18-month study for €40 million for the eventual future replacement of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle beyond 2030. A decision to build the new carrier was taken by President Emmanuel Macron in 2020 and once it enters service it is anticipated to remain in service until beyond 2080. Construction of the new carrier is to begin in around 2025 with service entry anticipated in

3003-424: The French Navy are worn on shoulder straps of shirts and white jackets, and on sleeves for navy jackets and mantels. Until 2005, only commissioned officers had an anchor on their insignia, but enlisted personnel are now receiving them as well. Commanding officers have titles of capitaine , but are called commandant (in the army, both capitaine and commandant are ranks, which tends to stir some confusion among

3080-425: The French Navy including Roland Morillot which was in service until 1967. The reconstruction phase started with research at the end of the conflict including assimilating the advanced techniques and tactics of World War II. Five submarines of the Aurore class whose construction was interrupted in 1940 were commissioned and served into the 1960s. During the years 1970/1980, the diesel submarines were spread in

3157-461: The French Navy was a golden anchor , which, beginning in 1830, was interlaced by a sailing rope ; this symbol was featured on all naval vessels, arms, and uniforms. Although anchor symbols are still used on uniforms, a new naval logo was introduced in 1990 under Naval Chief of Staff Bernard Louzeau, featuring a modern design that incorporates the tricolour —by flanking the bow section of a white warship with two ascending red and blue spray foams—and

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3234-422: The Navy cut its teeth in the Anglo-French War (1627–1629) , the Franco-Spanish War (1635–59) , the Second Anglo-Dutch War , the Franco-Dutch War , and the Nine Years' War . Major battles in these years include the Battle of Augusta , Battle of Beachy Head , the Battles of Barfleur and La Hougue , the Battle of Lagos , and the Battle of Texel . The 1700s opened with the War of the Spanish Succession , over

3311-432: The Navy helped wage the Tonkin Campaign which included the Battle of Thuận An , and it later participated in the Franco-Siamese conflict of 1893 . The 19th century French Navy brought forth numerous new technologies. It led the development of naval artillery with its invention of the highly effective Paixhans gun . In 1850, Napoléon became the first steam-powered ship of the line in history, and Gloire became

3388-452: The Navy were conducted during the Dardanelles Campaign . In December 1916, during the Noemvriana events, French warships also bombarded Athens, trying to force the pro-German government of Greece to change its policies. The French Navy also played an important role in countering Germany's U-boat campaign by regularly patrolling the seas and escorting convoys. Between the World Wars, the Navy modernized and expanded significantly, even in

3465-467: The Submarines Squadron of the Atlantic (ESMAT) and the Submarines Squadron of the Mediterranean (ESMED). In 1995, the remaining ESMA was dissolved with the last submarine leaving port on 11 February 1997. The four Agosta and the two last Daphné class were part of the Submarines Atlantic Group (GESMAT), created in 1995. The latter was in turn decommissioned on 1 July 1999 and the two ultimate Agosta -class vessels, La Praya and L'Ouessant , integrated

3542-409: The Thales Sea Fire 500 AESA radar. Industrial considerations mean that the funds for FREMMs 9-11 are now being spent on five more exportable Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention ( FDI , "intermediate size frigates" ) from 2024 to supplement, and ultimately replace, the La Fayette class, three of which are being upgraded with new sonars to operate into the early 2030s. With respect to support ships,

3619-502: The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle . Seamen must be at least 17 but no more than 30 years old, with no minimum level of schooling. Petty officers must be at least 17 but no more than 30 years old, with at least a high school diploma giving access to university studies. Petty Officer Candidate begin training with five months at the Petty Officer School of Maistrance at Brest . Contract officers serve on an initial eight-year contract, renewable up to 20 years. The rank insignia of

3696-420: The attack submarines was enlarged since the middle of the years of 1990 with the leveling placement of nuclear attack submarines which can act at the profit of Carrier battle groups and maritime action. The six French nuclear attack submarines of the Rubis class are being replaced by the Barracuda class beginning in 2020. The Rubis class were the main class of nuclear attack submarines in service following

3773-422: The base at Toulon . The attack summary of French submarine torpedoes during the Second World War was: The submarines undertook numerous unconventional operations including dropping agents, forces of the resistance and materials in occupied Europe and the Casabianca played an important role in the liberation of Corsica by transporting special forces personnel. On 1 January 1945, France had eight submarines of

3850-425: The beginning of World War I in August 1914, the French Navy fielded 72 submarines essentially to defend her coastlines, of which 50 units were at sea. During the conflict orders were placed for a further 90 with almost 70 launched by 1918. Fifty-nine of these boats conducted more than 1,300 sorties, fourteen of those were lost in the conflict (twelve in the Mediterranean ). Among the boats lost were Curie which

3927-423: The bulk of the fleet, including all its capital ships, transferred loyalty to Vichy French Navy (Marine de Vichy). Concerned that the German Navy might somehow gain control of the ships, the British mounted an attack on Mers-el-Kébir , the Algerian city where many of them were harbored. The incident poisoned Anglo-French relations, leading to Vichy reprisals and a full-scale naval battle at Casablanca in 1942 when

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4004-481: The command of the Vichy government were sunk or damaged by the Allies in various combats taking place in the French colonial empire . During the Battle of Dakar in September 1940 two submarines of the Vichy regime were sunk but Bévéziers damaged a battleship . Three submarines including Béveziers , were lost in May 1942 during the Battle of Madagascar . During the Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon five submarines, including Casabianca managed to exit

4081-415: The engagements of this time were the Battle of the Basque Roads , the Battle of Grand Port , the Mauritius campaign of 1809–11 , and the Battle of Lissa . After Napoleon's fall in 1815, the long era of Anglo-French rivalry on the seas began to close, and the Navy became more of an instrument for expanding the French colonial empire . Under King Charles X , the two nations' fleets fought side by side in

4158-402: The face of limitations set by the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty . New additions included the heavy and fast Fantasque class "super- destroyers ", the Richelieu -class battleships, and the submarine Surcouf which was the largest and most powerful of its day. From the start of World War II , the Navy was involved in a number of operations, participating in the Battle of the Atlantic ,

4235-470: The first ballistic missile submarine of the Redoutable class left a submarine base for the first nuclear deterrence patrol. With the creation of FOST, the submarine force was subordinated to support it in the role of nuclear deterrence. With the commissioning of French nuclear ballistic missile submarine in the French Navy in 1970, it was decided to construct the Rubis class of French nuclear attack submarines . Going through several designations,

4312-631: The first class, twenty submarines of the second class of which four were lent by the United Kingdom, one minelaying submarine and one depot ship for submarines. On 8 May 1945, nineteen vessels were in active service of which nine were operational (three lent by the United Kingdom). On 1 January 1946 the personnel were reduced to 700 men. Following the German surrender , France received a total of eighty-five former German vessels, which included six combat submarines, four midget submarines (in service until 1954) as well as an Italian coastal submarine. Only four out of them were placed on permanent active duty, with

4389-441: The first seagoing ironclad warship nine years later. In 1863, the Navy launched Plongeur , the first submarine in the world to be propelled by mechanical power. In 1876, Redoutable became the first steel-hulled warship ever. In 1887, Dupuy de Lôme became the world's first armoured cruiser . During the latter part of the century, French officers developed the so-called Jeune École (Young School) theory that emphasized

4466-442: The inscription " Marine nationale ". Cardinal Richelieu personally supervised the Navy until his death in 1643. He was succeeded by his protégé, Jean Baptiste Colbert , who introduced the first code of regulations of the French Navy and established the original naval dockyards in Brest and Toulon . Colbert and his son, the Marquis de Seignelay , between them administered the Navy for twenty-nine years. During this century,

4543-426: The last in 1993. Their nuclear propulsion and speed allows the submarines to be dispatched with total secrecy to the Mediterranean , Occidental Africa, the Antilles, the Persian Gulf , the Pacific Ocean, and other oceans and seas. Occupied mainly, but not exclusively by operations of anti-submarine warfare at the profit of deterrence, since the creation of the Strategic Oceanic Force , the employment scope range of

4620-548: The latter 2030s. Submarine forces (France) The Submarine Forces of France ( French : Forces Sous-Marines, FSM ) are one of the four main components of the French Navy . The force oversees all French submarines regardless of role. The headquarters staff is an independent command made up of two prime components: French submarine forces comprise over 4,000 military and civilian personnel of which an estimated two thousand are submariners. The French Général Naval Officer ( French : L'Officier général de marine ),

4697-406: The level of maintenance for instance) and were classified as various initiatives, categorizing the submarines on a general scale while sharing the same characteristics (same dimensions, displacement, armament and other features). In any case, the French differentiated their submarines by their displacement: 600–, 1100–, and 1500-ton types. Accordingly, several classes of submarines were constructed for

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4774-474: The navy's Strategic Oceanic Force provide the backbone of the French nuclear deterrent . In addition the French Navy operates six light surveillance frigates and, as of 2024, five avisos (originally light corvettes now reclassified as patrol vessels). They undertake the navy's offshore patrol duties, the protection of French naval bases and territorial waters , and can also provide low-end escort capabilities to any oceangoing task force. The Navy also operates

4851-413: The nuclear-powered submarines was eventually designated the Provence class ( with the next two vessels being designated as Bretagne and Bourgogne ), before being christened under the Presidency of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing . These were one of the most compact nuclear attack submarines in the world with reactor integration. Built since 1976, the first was delivered in 1983. Six entered service in total,

4928-419: The only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside the United States Navy , and one of two non-American vessels to use catapults to launch aircraft. Founded in the 17th century, the French Navy is one of the oldest navies still in continuous service, with precursors dating back to the Middle Ages. It has taken part in key events in French history, including the Napoleonic Wars and both world wars, and played

5005-448: The public). The two highest ranks, vice-amiral d'escadre and amiral ( admiral ), are functions, rather than ranks. They are assumed by officers ranking vice-amiral ( vice admiral ). The only amiral de la flotte ( Admiral of the Fleet ) was François Darlan after he was refused the dignity of amiral de France ( Admiral of France ). Equivalent to the dignity of Marshal of France , the rank of amiral de France remains theoretical in

5082-431: The retirement of the last conventional propulsion submarines in 2001. The Squadron of Nuclear Attack Submarines (ESNA) is a component of the Strategic Oceanic Force which assimilated the Submarine Forces at the end of the 20th century. Six French nuclear ballistic missile submarines of the Le Redoutable class capable of carrying sixteen ballistic missiles were built: Four French nuclear ballistic missile submarines of

5159-430: The signature of the Washington Naval Treaty . In 1922, French submarine forces counted 48 boats, all constructed after 1911. On 1 January 1930, France had the most powerful submarine fleet in the world with 110 units totaling 97,875 tons in service, construction or in authorized commission. However, the French naval construction witnessed set-backs in perfecting the submarines production (certain setbacks were witnessed as

5236-439: The two components have been divided into the Naval Action Force (commanded by ALFAN) and the Antisubmarine Group (commanded by ALGASM). As of 2014, the largest French naval base is the military port of Toulon . Other major bases in metropolitan France are the Brest Arsenal and Île Longue on the Atlantic, and Cherbourg Naval Base on the English Channel. Overseas French bases include Fort de France and Degrad des Cannes in

5313-412: The use of small, cheap torpedo boats to destroy expensive battleships, coupled with long-range commerce raiders to attack an opponent's merchant fleet. The first seaplane , the French Fabre Hydravion , was flown in 1910, and the first seaplane carrier , Foudre , was christened in the following year. Despite that innovation, the general development of the French Navy slowed down in the beginning of

5390-504: The years 1921–1931, out of which the most prominent were: At the declaration of World War II in September 1939, France had 77 submarines out of which 47 had been launched in the previous ten years and 19 submarines under construction. A submarine depot ship , the Jules Verne , had been in service since April 1932. The French Navy had nine submarines of the 1200 tons type, 29 units of the 1500 tons type ( Prométhée and Phénix had been lost accidentally in 1932 and 1939); 38 vessels of

5467-483: Was scuttled during a tentative attack on the base of Pula in December 1914, and would be refitted by the Austro-Hungarian Navy and Foucault , sunk in a bombardment by flying boats of the Austro-Hungarian Navy at the naval base of Kotor on 15 September 1915, was the first submarine to be sunk in an aerial attack. At the end of the war, France received 46 U-boats from the Imperial German Navy in reparations but most were scrapped between 1922 and 1923 following

5544-575: Was based on the design of the British Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carrier recently constructed and launched for the British Royal Navy. However, the French programme had been delayed several times for budgetary reasons and the result was priority being given to the more exportable FREMM project. In April 2013 it was confirmed that the second aircraft carrier project would be abandoned due to defence cuts announced in

5621-464: Was crowned Emperor in 1804, he attempted to restore the Navy to a position that would enable his plan for an invasion of England. His dreams were dashed by the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where the British all but annihilated a combined Franco-Spanish fleet, a disaster that guaranteed British naval superiority throughout the Napoleonic Wars . Still, the Navy did not shrink from action: among

5698-545: Was eager to join the fray when France intervened in the American Revolutionary War . Though outnumbered everywhere, the French fleets held the British at bay for years until victory. After this conflict and the concomitant Anglo-French War (1778–1783) , the Navy emerged at a new height in its history. Major battles in these years include the Battle of the Chesapeake , the Battle of Cape Henry ,

5775-674: Was established in 1624 by Cardinal Richelieu , chief minister to King Louis XIII . During the French Revolution , la Marine Royale was formally renamed la Marine Nationale . Under the First French Empire and the Second French Empire , the navy was designated as the Imperial French Navy ( la Marine impériale française ). Institutionally, however, the navy has never lost its short familiar nickname, la Royale . The original symbol of

5852-565: Was expanded on 25 September 1816 to include the Ville de Marseille (City of Marseille). On 22 March 1838 its size was fixed as a battalion of five companies and on 14 December 1962, its jurisdiction was expanded to include the port of Marseille and the Marseille-Provence Marignane International Airport. The battalion of Naval Fire Marseille was created by a decree dated 29 July 1939, following

5929-484: Was launched in 1863, and was equipped with a compressed-air motor, supplied by twenty-three tanks of compressed air pressurised to 180  psi (1,200  kPa ). In 1888, Gymnote was the first submarine equipped with specific metal batteries. Gymnote would be followed by Morse in 1899 and then the Farfadet -class series in 1901. Their range was 100 miles (160 km). In June 1900, Narval introduced

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