Naval Systems

Aquitaine class

Also known as
  • Aquitaine-class frigate
  • Aquitaine-class FREMM frigate
  • Aquitaine-class FREMM multipurpose frigate
  • FREMM frigate

The Aquitaine class is France's Naval Group-built FREMM multi-mission frigate family, centered on anti-submarine warfare but fitted for area air defense, anti-ship attack, torpedo employment, helicopter operations, and deep land strike. French ships in the class fired MdCN/SCALP Naval missiles in the 2018 Syria strikes and later used FREMM and FREMM DA air-defense capabilities during Red Sea operations against Houthi drones and missiles.

Aquitaine class, Multi-mission frigate class, Naval Systems
Image source: Wikimedia Commons: 20250429 Sûreté maritime v2 FREMM mer rouge.jpg

Role in Conflicts

2011 Syrian Civil War
Long-Range Strike
Side
U.S., UK, and French strike forces

French frigate Languedoc fired three naval SCALP/MdCN missiles from the Eastern Mediterranean during the coalition strike package against Syrian chemical-weapons facilities.

Role details
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
France
Built by
Naval Group
Type
Multi-mission frigate class
Service note
2012-present
Designer
Naval Group
Designed
2005
Produced
2005-2022 French program sequence
Number built
10 French-built FREMMs by 2022, including eight for the French Navy

Specifications

Length
142 metres
Beam
20 metres
Displacement
6,000 tons
Maximum speed
27 knots
Manning
118 people plus 14-person helicopter detachment on FREMM DA
Range
6,000 nautical miles at 15 knots
Vertical-launch armament
MdCN land-attack missiles on strike-capable FREMMs; Aster missiles on FREMM DA
Anti-ship armament
8 Exocet MM40 Block 3 missiles on FREMM DA
Anti-submarine armament
19 MU90 torpedoes and one Caiman Marine helicopter on FREMM DA
Variants

French Aquitaine-class ships are FREMM frigates, with the final two French Navy ships built as FREMM DA air-defense variants.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
FREMM anti-submarine warfare configurationBaseline French Navy FREMM

Aquitaine through Normandie formed the first French delivery sequence and are described by Naval Group as multi-mission frigates optimized around anti-submarine warfare with land-attack, anti-ship, and self-defense capabilities.

Sources: Naval Group: FREMM DA Lorraine first sea trial, Naval Group: Surface ships

FREMM DA / FREDAEnhanced air-defense configuration

Alsace and Lorraine add enhanced air-defense capability while retaining the FREMM anti-submarine warfare mission set; Naval Group lists Herakles radar, Aster 15/30 missiles, Exocet MM40, MU90 torpedoes, and Caiman Marine helicopter capability for the FREMM DA series.

Sources: Naval Group: FREMM DA Lorraine first sea trial

Carried Munitions

The Aquitaine class combines anti-submarine warfare with sourced vertical-launch missile and torpedo armament in French service.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
MdCN / SCALP Naval, Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile, ArtilleryMdCN / SCALP NavalNaval cruise missile

Naval Group describes FREMM frigates as capable of deep inland strike, and U.S. and USNI reporting identify Languedoc as firing three naval SCALP/MdCN missiles during the April 2018 Syria strikes.

Sources: Naval Group: Surface ships, DoD Syria Strike Briefing, U.S., French Warships Launch Attacks on Chemical Weapons Targets in Syria

Aster 30 / Sea Viper air-defense missile, Surface-to-air interceptor missile, Air DefenseAster 30 / Sea Viper air-defense missileShipborne air-defense missile

Naval Group lists Aster 15 and 30 missiles among the FREMM DA weapon systems carried by Alsace and Lorraine for enhanced air-defense missions.

Sources: Naval Group: FREMM DA Lorraine first sea trial

Timeline

Aquitaine class Key Events

  1. Languedoc fires MdCN in combat

    During the coalition missile strikes against Syria, the French FREMM Languedoc fired three naval cruise missiles from the Eastern Mediterranean.

    Sources: DoD Syria Strike Briefing, U.S., French Warships Launch Attacks on Chemical Weapons Targets in Syria

  2. Lorraine enters sea trials

    Naval Group described Lorraine as the eighth and last French Navy FREMM and the second enhanced-air-defense FREMM DA, following seven French deliveries from Aquitaine through Alsace.

    Sources: Naval Group: FREMM DA Lorraine first sea trial

  3. Languedoc intercepts Red Sea drones

    French defense reporting said Languedoc destroyed two hostile aerial drones from northern Yemen while operating in the Red Sea.

    Sources: French Navy: Languedoc Red Sea lessons

  4. Alsace and Lorraine recognized for Aspides

    The French Navy reported that FREMM DA Alsace and Lorraine had served nearly five combined months in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden under Operation Aspides, with Alsace credited against drones and ballistic missiles and Lorraine against a drone.

    Sources: Cols Bleus: Alsace and Lorraine decorated for Aspides

Media

Aquitaine class Videos

Aquitaine class Images

Aquitaine class, Multi-mission frigate class, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons: 20250515 FORMIDABLE SHIELD 3.jpg
Aquitaine class, Multi-mission frigate class, Naval Systems - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons: French-Navy-Aquitaine-class-frigate.svg
Related Weapon Systems
MdCN / SCALP Naval, Ship- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missile, ArtilleryArtilleryMdCN / SCALP NavalShip- and submarine-launched land-attack cruise missileMdCN, also called SCALP Naval or NCM, is MBDA's French naval cruise missile for precision land attack from FREMM frigates and Barracuda/Suffren-class submarines. MBDA describes the weapon as a very-long-range, metric-accuracy deep-strike missile launched either from A70 SYLVER vertical cells or 21-inch submarine torpedo tubes, and French forces used it operationally during the April 2018 U.S., UK, and French strikes in the 2011 Syrian Civil War.
SCALP-EG, Air-launched cruise missile, MunitionsMunitionsSCALP-EGAir-launched cruise missileSCALP-EG is the French-service member of the Storm Shadow/SCALP air-launched cruise-missile family, an MBDA deep-strike weapon built for pre-planned attacks on high-value fixed targets such as hardened facilities and key infrastructure. French aircraft used SCALP-EG in Libya, Iraq and the 2018 Syria strikes, Ukrainian Su-24 aircraft later carried it as a Western long-range precision-strike option, Indian Rafales were reported to have used SCALP during Operation Sindoor in the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict, and the UK-France 2025 defence declaration tied new SCALP and Storm Shadow acquisition to production-line upgrades.
Bremen class / F122 frigate, Guided-missile frigate class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsBremen class / F122 frigateGuided-missile frigate classThe Bremen class / F122 frigate was an eight-ship German Navy frigate class built from 1979 to 1990 and retained in service until Lübeck decommissioned in 2022. Designed around anti-submarine escort work with Sea Lynx helicopters, CODOG propulsion, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Sea Sparrow air defense, torpedo tubes, and later RAM close-defense launchers, the class also appears in the anti-ISIS record through Augsburg's Operation Counter Daesh carrier-escort deployments.

Sources

Naval News: Two French Navy FREMM Frigates Won a U.S. Navy Award for ASW ExcellencePublisher: Naval News | Note: Supports Aquitaine-class dimensions, displacement, speed, crew, endurance, and ASW-oriented class background. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Naval Group: Surface shipsPublisher: Naval Group | Note: Supports FREMM background, Naval Group as designer and builder, and the mission set that includes anti-submarine warfare, anti-aircraft warfare, deep inland strikes, and naval force command at sea. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Naval Group: FREMM DA Alsace technical featuresPublisher: Naval Group | Note: Supports the FREMM program milestones, Aquitaine's 2012 delivery, the French production sequence, and the technical features listed for the FREMM DA series. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Naval Group: FREMM DA Lorraine first sea trialPublisher: Naval Group | Note: Supports French FREMM delivery sequence, Naval Group design/build role, FREMM DA variant context, Herakles/Aster/Exocet/MU90/Caiman armament notes, and FREMM DA technical specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Wikimedia Commons: Category Aquitaine class frigatePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports the class's listed operators, France as country of origin, Naval Group as manufacturer, and the total produced count on the category page. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Wikimedia Commons: 20250429 Sûreté maritime v2 FREMM mer rouge.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports open-license provenance for the primary Aquitaine-class gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Wikimedia Commons: 20250515 FORMIDABLE SHIELD 3.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports open-license provenance for a second Aquitaine-class gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Wikimedia Commons: French-Navy-Aquitaine-class-frigate.svgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports open-license provenance for the Aquitaine-class silhouette in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-07-03DoD Syria Strike BriefingPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports April 2018 U.S., UK, and French strikes in the 2011 Syrian Civil War direct use: French frigate Languedoc fired three naval cruise missiles from the Eastern Mediterranean during the coalition operation. | Accessed: 2026-07-03U.S., French Warships Launch Attacks on Chemical Weapons Targets in SyriaPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports April 2018 U.S., UK, and French strikes in the 2011 Syrian Civil War direct use: French frigate Languedoc fired three naval variant SCALP cruise missiles during the April 13, 2018 Syria strikes. | Accessed: 2026-07-03French Navy: Languedoc Red Sea lessonsPublisher: Ministere des Armees | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct use: the FREMM Languedoc was targeted by hostile aerial drones from northern Yemen in December and destroyed two of them while operating in the Red Sea. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Cols Bleus: Alsace and Lorraine decorated for AspidesPublisher: Cols Bleus / Marine nationale | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct use: FREMM DA Alsace and Lorraine took part in Operation Aspides in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, with Alsace credited against suicide drones and ballistic missiles and Lorraine against a drone. | Accessed: 2026-07-03