Concarneau, France : The PIRIOU shipyard in Concarneau, Brittany, on Wednesday launched Trolley de Prévaux, the first vessel of the French Navy’s new Patrouilleur Hauturier (PH) class of offshore patrol vessels. The launch marks a key milestone in a seven-ship program ordered in November 2023 by the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), France’s defense procurement authority.
The PH program is intended to renew and modernize France’s offshore patrol fleet, replacing older patrol ships while expanding endurance, sensor coverage, and operational availability across metropolitan waters and overseas maritime zones.
Industrial Organization and Program Management
The Patrouilleur Hauturier program is being executed by a consortium of three French shipbuilders—PIRIOU, CMN (Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie), and SOCARENAM—under the overall design authority and systems integration leadership of Naval Group. PIRIOU is responsible for construction of the lead vessel, while production of subsequent ships is distributed among the partner yards to maintain schedule and industrial capacity.
Construction of Trolley de Prévaux began in May 2024. Following its launch, the vessel will undergo fitting-out, systems integration, and sea trials before delivery to the French Navy’s Brest-based fleet, which is scheduled for April 2027.
Work on follow-on ships is already underway. d’Estiennes d’Orves has been under construction since February 2025 and is expected to be launched in early 2027. Jeanne Bohec entered construction in June 2025, with launch planned for late 2027. According to the current program timeline, the seventh and final ship of this initial batch is scheduled for delivery in 2030.
Design, Size, and Endurance
The PH class represents a substantial increase in capability compared with earlier French patrol vessels. Each ship measures approximately 92 meters in length and displaces around 2,400 tonnes. The design emphasizes long-duration patrols, sustained presence missions, and multi-role flexibility in both national and overseas operational areas.
The vessels are capable of speeds exceeding 21 knots and have an operational range of approximately 6,000 nautical miles. This allows deployments of up to 30 days without resupply. Accommodations are provided for up to 84 personnel, including the core crew as well as embarked mission specialists or additional detachments when required.
The class has been designed for a projected service life of 35 years, with an availability objective of up to 300 operational days per year, reflecting the Navy’s requirement for continuous maritime surveillance and patrol coverage.
Sensors, Combat Systems, and Mission Equipment
The PH-class sensor suite is supplied primarily by Thales and includes the NS54 4D active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, providing air and surface surveillance capabilities. In addition, the vessels are equipped with the BLUEWATCHER hull-mounted sonar.
The inclusion of sonar reflects evolving operational requirements, particularly the need to monitor underwater activity and support the protection of French ballistic missile submarine movements during transit to and from their bases.
Armament on the Patrouilleur Hauturier class is centered on the RAPIDFire 40 mm artillery system, intended for surface engagement, air defense, and counter-asymmetric missions. Short-range air defense is provided by SIMBAD RC missile launchers, while integrated electronic warfare and counter-drone systems are fitted to address emerging aerial and asymmetric threats.
Naming Policy and Future Fleet Expansion
Most ships in the PH class are named after figures associated with the Free French Forces and the French Resistance during the Second World War. An exception within the class is Île de Sein, named after the Breton island whose entire male population joined General Charles de Gaulle in London in 1940.
Under France’s 2024–2030 Military Planning Law, provision has been made for an additional order of three Patrouilleur Hauturier vessels. If exercised, this option would bring the total number of ships in the class to ten. The French Navy expects the full fleet of ten PH-class patrol vessels to be operational by 2035, supporting long-term maritime security, sovereignty missions, and protection of France’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.
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