Manufacturer catalog

Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie

Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie is a French naval shipyard in Cherbourg that designs, builds, integrates, and supports patrol craft, fast attack craft, corvettes, landing ships, interceptors, and specialist vessels for military and government customers.

2 weapons

CMN traces its current shipbuilding identity to 1946, when aviation engineer Félix Amiot reorganized his industrial activity at Cherbourg into Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie. The yard first built wooden trawlers, then expanded into minesweepers, coast-guard vessels, patrol boats, fast missile craft, and export naval programs.

The Cherbourg site is now presented by CMN Naval as a covered shipbuilding facility with about 400 employees, 48,000 square meters of covered halls, a slipway for vessels under 700 tons, and a 3,000-tonne Syncrolift. CMN's public product range runs from high-speed interceptors and assault boats to 70- to 96-meter corvettes and offshore-patrol designs.

CMN's defense significance comes from both finished ships and transfer-of-technology work. Its Combattante line became a long-running fast-attack-craft family, while the Baynunah program used CMN design, first-of-class construction at Cherbourg, technology transfer, logistics, and training support for Abu Dhabi Ship Building.

Naval shipbuildingCorvettesFast attack craftPatrol vesselsHigh-speed interceptorsLanding craftCombat-system integrationTransfer of technology and in-service support

Notable Systems

Vulcain class, Clearance-diver support vessel (BBPD), Naval Systems

Vulcain class

Clearance-diver support vessel (BBPD)

French Navy clearance-diver support vessels linked to the catalog through the published Vulcain-class record.

Sources: Category:Vulcain (ship, 1986)
Baynunah class, Multi-mission corvette, Naval Systems

Baynunah class

Multi-mission corvette

CMN designed the UAE Baynunah-class corvettes, built the first-of-class vessel at Cherbourg under the ADSB program, and supplied technology-transfer, logistics, and training support.

Sources: Baynunah Corvette, ADSB Celebrates Another Baynunah Keel Laying

Combattante fast attack craft family

CMN's official history describes La Combattante and later Combattantes II/III as the forerunners of a major export fast-missile-craft line.

Sources: CMN official history

Manufacturer History

  1. Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie formed

    Félix Amiot shifted into shipbuilding after nationalization of his aircraft company and created Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie at Cherbourg.

    Sources: CMN official history

  2. First trawler launched

    CMN says its first wooden trawler, Annie, was launched on 23 June 1948, beginning the yard's postwar shipbuilding output.

    Sources: CMN official history

  3. Combattante line emerges

    The patrol vessel La Combattante marked a turning point for the shipyard and led to the Combattantes II and III fast-missile-craft families.

    Sources: CMN official history

  4. Baynunah program work split between Cherbourg and Abu Dhabi

    ADSB program reporting described the first Baynunah-class ship under construction at CMN in Cherbourg, with CMN also responsible for design, technology transfer, logistics, and training support while the remaining ships were built in Abu Dhabi.

    Sources: ADSB Celebrates Another Baynunah Keel Laying

  5. BR71 MkII corvette launched for Angola

    CMN Naval reported that CMN launched the first BR71 MkII corvette, NRA Ekuikui II, at Cherbourg for the Angolan Navy under a three-ship program involving ADSB technology-transfer cooperation.

    Sources: CMN Launches BR71 MkII NRA EKUIKUI II

Subsidiaries
HydroQuest
Website links
Official CMN websiteCMN official historyProducts and servicesCMN Naval shipyard profile

Public sources routinely shorten Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie to CMN. The related CMN NAVAL group name is used here only for group-level ownership, facilities, and program announcements where the cited source uses that label.

Manufacturer Sources

  • Official CMN websitePublisher: Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie | Note: Supports CMN's current public identity, CMN Naval group relationship, delivered-vessel scale, product range, and broad naval-shipbuilding focus. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • CMN official historyPublisher: Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie | Note: Supports the 1946 founding by Félix Amiot, early trawler construction, Combattante family history, Baynunah program context, and current design, integration, production, and support capabilities. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • CMN products and servicesPublisher: Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie | Note: Supports CMN's current naval-vessel product categories and services. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • CMN Naval shipyard profilePublisher: CMN NAVAL | Note: Supports the Cherbourg address, shipyard facilities, covered-hall area, workforce scale, slipway, Syncrolift, and website link. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • CMN Atlantic Strategy partner profilePublisher: Atlantic Action Plan / European Commission | Note: Supports the Cherbourg address, France country field, large-business classification, shipbuilding and repair activity, and official website. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • ADSB Celebrates Another Baynunah Keel LayingPublisher: MarineLink / Maritime Activity Reports | Note: Supports CMN's Baynunah design role, first-vessel construction at Cherbourg, technology-transfer role, and ADSB program division of work. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Baynunah CorvettePublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports Baynunah-class mission, specifications, CMN design role, first-of-class construction in France, and ADSB transfer-of-technology context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • CMN Launches BR71 MkII NRA EKUIKUI IIPublisher: CMN NAVAL | Note: Supports the 2026 launch of the BR71 MkII corvette at CMN's Cherbourg shipyard and the related three-ship Angolan Navy program. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Category:Vulcain (ship, 1986)Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the catalog-connected Vulcain-class notable-system reference and the Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie manufacturer attribution carried on the existing weapon record. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Naval Systems

Warships, submarines, unmanned surface vessels, naval craft, and maritime combat systems.

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Baynunah class, Multi-mission corvette, Naval Systems2014 Yemen Civil WarBaynunah classMulti-mission corvetteBuilt in: France / United Arab EmiratesThe Baynunah class is a six-ship United Arab Emirates Navy corvette program that paired Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie design work with Abu Dhabi Ship Building construction and transfer-of-technology activity. The compact 71-metre ships combine patrol, surveillance, interdiction, helicopter operations, anti-surface missiles, and point air defense, and open reporting places Baynunah-class corvettes in Saudi-led coalition naval operations off Yemen.