French Navy: the first component of the interim fleet of helicopters notified
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Posted on 01/29/2020 by Vincent Groizeleau
Out of breath, the latest Alouette III in naval aeronautics cannot wait for the arrival of their successor, the future Guépard Marine, whose first deliveries are not expected before 2028. They will therefore be temporarily replaced by aircraft of rental. It is the famous interim fleet of navy helicopters, the first part of which was notified on December 30 by the Department of Aeronautical Maintenance (DMAé) of the Ministry of the Armed Forces (which succeeded in 2018 to the old SIMMAD).
For a period of 10 years, the contract, won by a group made up of DCI and Héli-Union, relates, according to the DMAé, to the provision of ten Dauphin N3s, two other machines being optional. These aircraft, previously operated for civil activities, in particular the offshore sector, will be modified to meet the operational needs of the French Navy. They will notably be equipped with an IFF interrogator, an arming support, air-cording capabilities, secure communications systems or even armor plates. They will also be equipped with a harpoon for landing grids for boarding on ships of the French fleet. Deliveries by DCI and Héli-Union will take place after the completion of this work,
The second part of the interim fleet covers, in addition to the Dauphin N3s, the rental of a series of H160s, the new Airbus helicopter on the basis of which the future Marine Cheetah will be developed as part of the Joint Helicopter program. Light (HIL). This market, different from that of the Dauphin N3, will be notified later. It should ultimately concern four devices (instead of the five hoped for at the start).
H160 ( © SEA AND MARINE - VINCENT GROIZELEAU )
The Dauphin N3s rented from DCI and Héli-Union will therefore succeed the latest Alouette IIIs. Naval aeronautics has owned up to 35 machines of this type, the commissioning of which dates back to 1963. In 2016, there were still around twenty in the fleet, but the 316 series aircraft were withdrawn from service in 2018. To replace these helicopters, which were assigned to the School of Specialization in Embedded Helicopters (ESHE), four Dauphin N3s have already been rented since 2018 from the company NHV. Within ESHE, they provide training for naval pilots and bridging training for pilots from other armies.
There are currently only 9 Alouette IIIs in the 319 series left in the fleet. They are all now assembled in 22S squadron and continue to embark on naval vessels. Including three of them which provide aerial detachments of surveillance frigates based in Papeete Nouméa and Fort-de-France.
Alouette III ( © MARINE NATIONALE )
These ultimate Alouette IIIs should retire by 2022 and therefore be replaced by the rented N3 Dolphins, pending their effective succession by the future Guépard Marine. The Dolphins that will take over will be called upon to embark on various units, including frigates based in mainland France and overseas, as well as the supply vessels. They will be able to carry out a wide variety of missions ranging from maritime surveillance to the fight against illicit trafficking, via logistical support from the tankers.
The four H160s that will be subsequently rented will be used to relieve the Caiman Marine (23 in service at the end of 2019, the last four to be by 2021) that the navy wishes to focus on their main combat aircraft missions on board, specializing in particular in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. In particular, this involves relieving Caimans of search and rescue at sea (SAR) missions for which some are currently assigned, in particular at Pointe Bretagne and Cherbourg. But the H160, which should be stationed between 2021 and 2023, will also replace the Cayman as part of the permanence necessary to trigger a maritime counterterrorism operation (CTM) on the three main metropolitan façades.
The future Cheetah ( © Airbus France)
It will be noted that the decision to hire a few H160s will, beyond operational needs, have the advantage of quickly acquainting sailors with the new Airbus helicopter and, logically, allowing them to take advantage of this initial feedback for the development of the Marine Cheetah.
For the record, France plans to order a total of 169 Cheetahs, 80 for the Army, 49 for the French Navy and 40 for the Air Force. The Light Aviation of the Army (ALAT) must be the first to receive this new aircraft from 2026 in order to retire its ancient Gazelle. All platforms will have a common base with more or less pronounced specificities depending on the models. The version intended for naval aeronautics will be, for example, suitable for boarding on naval vessels (reinforced structure and train, harpoon), will have sensors optimized for maritime use and will be suitable for the implementation of the future missile light anti-ship (ANL) developed jointly with the British.
The Guépard Marine will succeed the hired helicopters, then the Dauphin Pedro (3) and SPI (6 in France + 2 in Polynesia) as well as the 16 Panther. Alouette III, Dauphin SPI, Panther and Caïman Marine
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