The Marine Nationale ("National Navy"), often called La Royale, or the French Navy is the maritime arm of the armed forces of France. Tracing its roots back from 1624 it is one of the world's oldest naval forces and historically played a key part in establishing the French colonial empire. Since 2008, its roles have been defined as maintaining intelligence, protecting populations, preventing crises, intervening wherever necessary to reestablish peace, and dissuading any threats against vital French interests. The Marine Nationale consists of four branches, the Force d'Action Navale, the Forces Sous-marines, the Aéronavale and the Fusiliers Marins (including the Commandos de Marine). As a blue-water navy the Marine Nationale operates a wide range of fighting vessels, including a pair of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered submarines, frigates, patrol boats and support ships. The French Navy does not use prefixes of the names of its ships, but foreign commentators sometimes use the prefix MN; this is not official, however.
The motto of the navy is Honneur, patrie, valeur, discipline ("Honour, Fatherland, Valour, Discipline") and these words are found on the deck of every ship in the fleet.
List of ships[]
- Charles de Gaulle-class aircraft carriers (2) - 1997
- MN Charles de Gaulle (R91)
- MN Richelieu (R92)
- Jeanne d'Arc-class aircraft carrier (1) - 2014
- Bretagne-class amphibious assault ships (2) - 1982
- MN Bretagne (L9009)
- MN Provence (L9010)
- Mistral-lass amphibious assault ships (4) - 2006
- MN Mistral (L9013)
- MN Tonnere (L9014)
- MN Dixmude (L9015)
- MN Typhon (L9016)
- Chaland de débarquement d'infanterie et de chars (2) - 2007
- MN Rapière
- MN Hallebarde
- EDA-R (8) - 2011
- MN EDA-R-01 (L9035)
- MN EDA-R-02 (L9036)
- MN EDA-R-03 (L9037)
- MN EDA-R-04 (L9038)
- MN EDA-R-05 (L9039)
- MN EDA-R-06 (L9040)
- MN EDA-R-07 (L9041)
- MN EDA-R-08 (L9042)
- Georges Leygues-class ASW Destroyers (7) - 1979
- MN Georges Leygues (D640)
- MN Dupleix (D641)
- MN Montcalm (D642)
- MN Jeanne de Vienne (D643)
- MN Primauguet (D644)
- MN La Motte Piquet (D645)
- MN Latouche-Tréville (D646)
- Cassard-class Destroyers (4) - 1988
- MN Cassard (D614)
- MN Jean Bart (D615)
- MN Condorcet (D616)
- MN Durandal (D617)
- Horizon-class Guided Missile Destroyers (4) - 2007
- MN Forbin (D620)
- MN Chevalier Paul (D621)
- MN Jean-Baptiste Colbert (D622)
- MN François Flohic (D623)
- Aquitaine-class Frigate (17) - 2011
- MN Aquitaine (D650)
- MN Normandie (D651)
- MN Picardy (D652)
- MN Languedoc (D653)
- MN Auvergne (D654)
- MN Alsace (D655)
- MN Saintes (D656)
- MN Lorraine (D657)
- MN Corsica (D658)
- MN Maine (D659)
- MN Foix (D660)
- MN Béarn (D661)
- MN Touraine (D662)
- MN Orléanais (D663)
- MN Roussillon (D664)
- MN Flandre (D665)
- MN Gascogne (D666)
- Floreal-class Light Frigates (12) - 1992
- MN Floréal (F730)
- MN Prairial (F731)
- MN Nivôse (F732)
- MN Ventôse (F733)
- MN Vendémiaire (F734)
- MN Germinal (F735)
- MN Frimaire (F736)
- MN Thermidor (F737)
- MN Pluviôse (F738)
- MN Messidor (F739)
- MN Fructidor (F740)
- MN Brumaire (F741)
- La Fayette-class Stealth Frigates (6) 1996
- MN La Fayette (F710)
- MN Surcouf (F711)
- MN Courbet (F712)
- MN Jauréguiberry (F713)
- MN Guépratte (F714)
- MN Aconit (F715)
- Admiral Ronarc'h claas Frigate (2 UC, 6 planned) - 2024
- MN Admiral Ronarc’h (D667) - fitting out
- MN Admiral Louzeau (D668) - under construction
- MN Admiral Castex (D669) - planned for construction
- MN Admiral Nomy (D670) - planned for construction
- MN Admiral Cabanier (D671) - planned for construction
- MN Admiral Sénès (D672) - planned for construction
- MN D'Estienne d'Orves (D673) - planned for construction
- MN Admiral Kahn (D674) - planned for construction
- Rubis-class Nuclear Attack Submarines (12) - 1983
- MN Rubis (S607)
- MN Saphir (S608)
- MN Casabianca (S609)
- MN Émeraude (S610)
- MN Améthyste (S611)
- MN Perle (S612)
- MN Turquoise (S613)
- MN Diamant (S614)
- MN Grenat (S615)
- MN Onyx (S616)
- MN Chrysobéryl (S617)
- MN Aventurine (S618)
- Triomphant-class Nuclear Attack Submarine (4) - 1997
- MN Triomphant (S619)
- MN Téméraire (S620)
- MN Vigilant (S621)
- MN Terrible (S622)
- MN Opiniâtre (S623)
- MN Malin (S624)
- Suffren-class Nuclear Attack Submarine (5, 5 UC, 2 planned) - 2018
- MN Suffen (S625)
- MN Duguay-Trouin (S626)
- MN Tourville (S627)
- MN Dupetit-Thouars (S628)
- MN De Grasse (S629) - sea trials
- MN Duquesne (S630) - fitting out
- MN Arromanches (S641) - fitting out
- MN Joffre (S632) - under construction
- MN Chateaurenault (S633) - under construction
- MN Guichen (S634) - under construction
- MN Masséna (S636) - planned for construction
- MN Painlevé (S636) - planned for construction
- Durance-class Fleet Replenishment Oilers (5) - 1988
- MN Durance (A629)
- MN Marne (A630)
- MN Somme (A631)
- MN Meuse (A632)
- MN Var (A633)
- Lapérouse-class Hydrographic Survey Vessels (3) - 1988
- MN Lapérouse (A791)
- MN Borda (A792)
- MN Laplace (A793)
- Thetis-class Mine Countermeasures Vessel (1) - 1988
- MN Thestis (A785)
- Monge-class Missile Tracking Ship (1) - 1992
- MN Monge (A601)
- Beautemps-Beaupré-class Oceanographic Survey Vessel (1) - 2003
- MN Beautemps-Beaupré (A758)
- Alizée-class Diving Support Ship (1) - 2005
- MN Alizée (A645)
- Dupuy de Lôme-class Communications Intelligence Ship (1) - 2006
- MN Dupuy de Lôme (A759)
- Loire-class Offshore Support Vessel and Assistance Vessel (4) - 2018
- MN Loire (A602)
- MN Rhône (A603)
- MN Seine (A604)
- MN Garonne (A605)
- Jacques Chevallier-class Replenishment Vessel (3 UC, 1 planned) - 2024
- MN Jacques Chevallier (A725) - fitting out
- MN Jacques Stosskopf (A726) - under construction
- MN Émile Bertin (A727) - under construction
- MN Gustave Zédé (A728) - planned for construction
- Éridan-class Minehunter (13) - 1981
- MN Éridan (M641)
- MN Cassiopée (M642)
- MN Andromède (M643)
- MN Pégase (M644)
- MN Orion (M645)
- MN Croix du Sud (M646)
- MN Aigle (M647)
- MN Lyre (M648)
- MN Persée (M649)
- MN Sagittaire (M650)
- MN Verseau (M651)
- MN Céphée (M652)
- MN Capricorne (M653)
- Vulcain-class Mine "Clearance Divers" Support Vessel (4) - 1986
- MN Vulcain (M611)
- MN Achéron (M613)
- MN Styx (M614)
- MN Pluton (M622)
- Antarès-class Sonar Towing Vessel (3) - 1993
- MN Antarès (M770)
- MN Altaïr (M771)
- MN Aldébaran (M772)
- L'Adroit-class Offshore Patrol Vessel (1) - 2012
- MN L'Adroit (P725)
- D'Entrecasteaux-class Patrol Vessel (4) - 2016
- MN D'Entrecasteaux (A621)
- MN Bougainville (A622)
- MN Champlain (A623)
- MN Dumont d'Urville (A624)
- Confiance-class Offshore Patrol Vessel (3) - 2017
- MN La Confiance (P733)
- MN La Résolue (P734)
- MN La Combattante (P735)
- Auguste Bénébig-class Patrol Vessel (2, 4 UC) - 2023
- MN Auguste Bénébig (P779)
- MN Teriieroo a Teriierooiterai (P780) - sea trials
- MN Auguste Techer (P781) - under construction
- MN Jean Tranape (P782) - under construction
- MN Philippe Bernardino (P783) - under construction
- MN Félix Éboué (P784) - under construction