French ship Dixmude (L9015)

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 Mistral class.

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Dixmude.
BPC Dixmude in Jounieh bay, Lebanon 2012.
History
France
Name: Dixmude
Namesake: Fusiliers Marins at the battle of Diksmuide[1]
Builder: Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire
Cost: €451.6m[2] (FY 2012)
Laid down: 20 January 2010 at Saint-Nazaire[1]
Launched: 17 September 2010[3]
Commissioned: 27 December 2012
Homeport: Toulon
Identification:
Status: in active service
General characteristics
Class and type: Mistral-class amphibious assault ship
Displacement:
  • 16,500 t (empty)
  • 21,300 t (full load)
  • 32,300 t (with ballast)
Length: 199 m (653 ft)
Beam: 32 m (105 ft)
Draught: 6.3 m (21 ft)
Installed power: 4 × Wärtsilä 16V32 (4 × 6.2 MW (8,300 hp))
Propulsion: Diesel-electric; two Rolls-Royce Mermaid azimuth thrusters (2 × 7 MW (9,400 hp)) with 5-bladed fixed pitch propellers
Speed: 18.8 knots (34.8 km/h; 21.6 mph)
Range:
  • 5,800 nautical miles (10,800 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
  • 10,700 nautical miles (19,800 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Capacity: 2 barges, one Leclerc battalion, 70 vehicles
Complement:
  • 20 officers
  • 80 petty officers
  • 60 quarter-masters
  • 450 passengers (900 for a short cruise)
  • 150-man operational headquarter
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 16 heavy or 35 light helicopters

Dixmude was delivered to the French defence procurement agency on 3 January 2012, three months ahead of schedule.[4]

Service history

In January 2013, Dixmude took part in Operation Serval, ferrying elements of the 92ème Régiment d’Infanterie to Mali.[5]

In April 2016, it was announced she would be part of the Anglo-French CJEX.[6]

In July 2018, the ship docked in Haifa port, Israel for a joint exercise with the Israeli Navy.[7]

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 Argus was also present as the UK’s commitment to supporting British Overseas Territories with Merlins and Wildcats along with HMS Medway as the Caribbean guard ship.[8]

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References
  1. Dixmude: mise sur cale du 3ème BPC (in French), French ministry of Defence.
  2. "Projet de loi de finances pour 2013 : Défense : équipement des forces" (in French). Senate of France. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 2014-09-26. Dixmude cost France €451.6m at FY2012 prices
  3. BPD Dixmude at EDA-R: la réponse aux nouvelles exigences de projection (in French), French ministry of Defence
  4. "DCNS and STX France Hand Over Mistral-Class Vessel BPC Dixmude". Shipbuilding Tribune. 17 January 2012. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
  5. "Opération Serval : embarquement immédiat pour le 92ème RI". French Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  6. "UK and France launch rapid deployment exercise". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  7. "French ambassador lauds joint exercise with Israel Navy". Ynetnews. 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  8. "RFA Argus and FS Dixmude in the Caribbean". 30 April 2020.
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