In June, the French Directorate General for Armaments (DGA) ordered seven more new ten-tonne class bow tugs for the French Navy. According to the Ministry of Defence in Paris, the order is worth more than eight million euros. This order brings the total number of units ordered to 22, with a medium-term target of 29 tugs of this type. The tugs are to be deployed in all of the country's naval bases, where they will replace 35 old vehicles with a thrust of between four and ten tonnes.
The new bow tugs are more powerful and compact than their predecessors. With a length of twelve metres, the draught is only two metres. They are highly manoeuvrable and the small crew will enjoy the more ergonomically designed controls. The auxiliary vessels are being built under the management of the general contractor SEE Merré in Nort-sur-Erdre in cooperation with Chaudonnieres Industrielles de Bretagne in Brest and Constructions Méchaniques de Normandie in Cherbourg. This year, the DGA has already taken delivery of three tugs from this series, with construction numbers 9, 10 and 11, with four more to follow. Two of these are destined for Papeete (French Polynesia) and Nouméa (New Caledonia) respectively.
Text: mb; Photo: MoD France
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The French armed forces retain a reduced number of their own tugs for good reason. Their crews are familiar with the special needs of the navy and how to deal with the peculiarities of warships. They are also available whenever the navy needs them. If necessary, civilian tugs can also be hired. A very sensible combination that has also worked well for us so far.