Naval Systems

Ophrys class

Also known as
  • Ophrys-class
  • Classe Ophrys
  • Vedettes de soutien à la plongée
  • Vedette de soutien à la plongée
  • VSP
  • VSP Ophrys
  • VSP Acacia
  • VSP Iris
  • Y6040

The Ophrys class is an eight-boat French Navy VSP dive-support series built by Merré Shipyard with Neuman design input for shallow-water mine-countermeasures work. The aluminium, low-magnetic boats replace older diver-intervention craft and give clearance-diver groups a compact platform with towed sonar, decompression support, and electric low-speed station-keeping.

Ophrys class, Dive support and mine countermeasures vessel class, Naval Systems
Image source: VSP ophrys.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
France
Type
Dive support and mine countermeasures vessel class
Service note
2022-present
Designer
Neuman
Designed
2019-2022
Produced
2019-2027 planned
Number built
8 ordered

Specifications

Length
26.5 m
Beam
7.0 m
Draught
1.7 m
Displacement
105 tonnes full load
Crew
6 plus up to 30 divers
Mission dive team
Up to 16 clearance divers for intervention missions
Speed
13 knots maximum
Range
250 nautical miles
Fuel capacity
6,000 litres
Propulsion
Two 440 kW diesel engines, electric low-speed motors, and a bow thruster
Sensors
Furuno radar and towed sonar with mine detection out to 100 m
Diving support
Hyperbaric recompression chamber, diver handling gear, rigid inflatable boat, and hull-intervention support
Hull
Aluminium construction with low magnetic signature
Armament
Manually operated 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun mount for self-defence
Variants

The class is a single VSP design procured as a lead boat plus seven follow-on vessels. Public reporting identifies the boats by plant names and Y6040-series hull numbers rather than by major subvariant.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
OphrysLead boat

First-of-class boat Y6040, delivered for French Navy operational evaluation at Toulon after 2022 acceptance activity.

Sources: DGA launches series production of new diving tenders for French Navy, La DGA réceptionne la première vedette de soutien à la plongée

AcaciaFirst series-production boat

Specialist reporting identifies Acacia as the second VSP and first follow-on boat, assigned to Toulon after delivery activity in 2025.

Sources: Marine nationale : la nouvelle vedette de support à la plongée Acacia a rejoint Toulon

IrisThird boat

Specialist reporting identifies Iris as the third VSP, built at Brest by CIB within the same Ophrys-class production run.

Sources: Marine nationale : CIB met à l'eau à Brest la vedette de soutien à la plongée Iris

Yucca and later boatsFollow-on VSP series

Later reporting describes continuing deliveries after Iris, with Yucca and subsequent plant-named boats completing the planned eight-boat distribution.

Sources: Merré livre à la Marine nationale une 4ème vedette de support à la plongée

Defensive Armament

The class is not designed as a combatant, but published vessel-review data lists a manually operated 7.62 mm machine-gun mount for self-defence.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
7.62 mm machine gun, Belt-fed general-purpose / vehicle-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun class, Infantry Weapons7.62 mm machine gunSelf-defence gun mount

Baird Maritime describes the Ophrys boat as fitted with a manually operated 7.62 mm general-purpose machine-gun mount for self-defence.

Sources: Ophrys – New minehunting dive boat delivered to French Navy

Mine-Clearance Support Role

Ophrys-class boats are small mine-countermeasures support vessels for clearance-diver work, not front-line surface combatants. Their value is the combination of shallow-water access, diver facilities, mine-search equipment, and low-signature station-keeping around underwater hazards.

Mission elementDocumented equipmentOperational purpose
Shallow-water access26.5 m aluminium hull with 1.7 m draughtLets clearance-diver teams work in areas less accessible to larger mine-warfare vessels.
Diver supportHyperbaric recompression chamber, diver handling gear, rigid inflatable boat, and accommodation for diversSupports mine-disposal, underwater work-site, and hull-intervention missions from the boat itself.
Mine searchTowed sonar and Furuno radarProvides detection support for underwater hazards before diver intervention.
Station keepingDiesel engines, electric low-speed motors, and bow thrusterAllows slow controlled movement during mine-countermeasures work while reducing magnetic and acoustic disturbance.

Sources: La DGA réceptionne la première vedette de soutien à la plongée; Ophrys – New minehunting dive boat delivered to French Navy.

Timeline

Ophrys class Key Events

  1. First boat contract awarded

    The French procurement agency awarded Merré Shipyard the contract for the first VSP boat, launching the class program.

    Sources: DGA launches series production of new diving tenders for French Navy, La DGA lance la production des vedettes de soutien à la plongée

  2. Ophrys handed over to DGA

    The lead boat was handed to the DGA for an operational-use period with French Navy clearance divers in Toulon.

    Sources: DGA launches series production of new diving tenders for French Navy, La DGA réceptionne la première vedette de soutien à la plongée

  3. Series production starts

    The DGA announced that production of the seven follow-on boats could begin after successful trials of Ophrys.

    Sources: La DGA lance la production des vedettes de soutien à la plongée, DGA launches series production of new diving tenders for French Navy

  4. Acacia reaches Toulon

    Specialist naval reporting identified Acacia as the first series-production VSP to join the Toulon-based mine-clearance diver group after Ophrys.

    Sources: Marine nationale : la nouvelle vedette de support à la plongée Acacia a rejoint Toulon

  5. Iris launched at Brest

    The third VSP, Iris, was launched at Brest as CIB and Merré continued the follow-on production run.

    Sources: Marine nationale : CIB met à l'eau à Brest la vedette de soutien à la plongée Iris

  6. Fourth boat delivered

    Later reporting described the fourth Ophrys-class VSP delivery and launch activity for the next boat, showing the series moving beyond the Toulon and Brest lead vessels.

    Sources: Merré livre à la Marine nationale une 4ème vedette de support à la plongée

Series Distribution

The eight-boat program is distributed around French Navy clearance-diver groups and the Saint-Mandrier diving school. Public reporting names the boats after plants and flowers, with Ophrys leading the class and Acacia, Iris, Yucca, and later vessels following through the 2020s.

Boat or groupReported role in seriesBase or production context
Ophrys (Y6040)Lead boat and operational-evaluation vesselAccepted after trials and used at Toulon by French Navy clearance divers.
AcaciaFirst series-production follow-on boatReported joining Toulon after Ophrys.
IrisThird boatReported launched at Brest by CIB within the Merré/BMA production arrangement.
Yucca and later boatsFollow-on vessels completing the eight-boat planReporting in 2026 described the fourth delivery and continuing production for later plant-named boats.

Sources: DGA launches series production of new diving tenders for French Navy; Marine nationale : la nouvelle vedette de support à la plongée Acacia a rejoint Toulon; Marine nationale : CIB met à l'eau à Brest la vedette de soutien à la plongée Iris; Merré livre à la Marine nationale une 4ème vedette de support à la plongée.

Media

Ophrys class Images

Ophrys class, Dive support and mine countermeasures vessel class, Naval Systems - view 1
Source: Vsp 2.png - Wikimedia Commons
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Sources

DGA launches series production of new diving tenders for French NavyPublisher: Janes | Note: Supports series production start, the French Navy shallow-water mine-countermeasure role, Merré Shipyard contract context, and the first boat's handover and delivery schedule. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Ophrys – New minehunting dive boat delivered to French NavyPublisher: Baird Maritime | Note: Supports the class identity, builder and designer context, dimensions, displacement, propulsion, range, fuel capacity, crew accommodation, sensors, aluminium hull, self-defence mount, and mine-countermeasures role. | Accessed: 2026-06-29La DGA lance la production des vedettes de soutien à la plongéePublisher: French Ministry of the Armed Forces | Note: Supports the official French defense announcement that the DGA launched production of the Ophrys-class VSP series. | Accessed: 2026-06-29La DGA réceptionne la première vedette de soutien à la plongéePublisher: Revue Défense Nationale | Note: Republishes the DGA announcement supporting Ophrys acceptance, eight-boat program scope, replacement of older diver-intervention craft, shallow-water mine and IED disposal role, diver-team size, diving-school and clearance-diver-group users, and mission equipment context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Marine nationale : la nouvelle vedette de support à la plongée Acacia a rejoint ToulonPublisher: Mer et Marine | Note: Supports Acacia as the first series-production follow-on VSP and Toulon assignment context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Marine nationale : CIB met à l'eau à Brest la vedette de soutien à la plongée IrisPublisher: Mer et Marine | Note: Supports Iris as the third VSP and CIB/Brest construction context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Merré livre à la Marine nationale une 4ème vedette de support à la plongéePublisher: Mer et Marine | Note: Supports later follow-on delivery context for Yucca and the continuing eight-boat Ophrys-class production run. | Accessed: 2026-06-29VSP ophrys.jpg - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the lead Ophrys-class image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Vsp 2.png - Wikimedia CommonsPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and licensing context for the second Ophrys-class gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29