PARIS - A project to provide the French Navy with new class of warships got underway on April 21 as France' Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian launched the construction process being undertaken by French naval shipbuilding giant DCNS. The project calls for construction of five "Belharra"-class intermediate frigates, or Fregate de Taille Intermediaire (FTIs). The French Defense Ministry announced the project back on October 18, 2016.
The new class of FTIs will serve as the successor to the French Navy's current 2,500-ton Lafayette-class of ships brought into service between 1995 and 2001. The 4,000-ton ships will provide the French Navy with a warship that fits between the FREMM multi-mission frigates and the Gowind corvettes and will enable the Navy to put to sea 15 top-of-the-line frigates by 2030.
The first of the five new Belharra FTIs will enter operational service in 2025.