French Navy
French Navy | |
---|---|
Marine nationale | |
Founded | 1624 |
Country | France |
Type | Navy |
Role | Naval warfare |
Size | 37,000 personnel (2021)[1] and 7,000 civilians (2021) 180 ships[2] 178 aircraft[3]
|
Garrison/HQ | Main: Current fleet |
Engagements | See list
|
Website | www |
Commanders | |
Falcon 10, Xingu |
The French Navy (French: Marine nationale, lit. 'National Navy'), informally La Royale, is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in the world recognised as being a blue-water navy[4][5][6]. The French Navy is capable of operating globally and conducting expeditionary missions, maintaining a significant overseas presence. The French Navy is one of eight naval forces currently operating fixed-wing aircraft carriers,[Note 1] with its flagship Charles de Gaulle being the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside the United States Navy, and one of two non-American vessels to use catapults to launch aircraft.[7][8]
Founded in the 17th century, the French Navy is one of the oldest navies still in continuous service, with precursors dating back to the Middle Ages. It has taken part in key events in French history, including the Napoleonic Wars and both world wars, and played a critical role in establishing and securing the
The French Navy consists of six main components: the
It operates a wide range of fighting vessels, including various aeronaval forces, attack and ballistic missile submarines, frigates, patrol boats and support ships, with aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle serving as the centerpiece of most expeditionary forces.
Origins
The history of French naval power dates back to the Middle Ages, and had three loci of evolution:
- The French Naval Academy.
- The sailorsfrom its numerous active seaports.
- The Atlantic Ocean, where the navy of the Duchy of Brittany eventually constituted the nucleus of the royal Flotte du Ponant, which projected French naval power across the Atlantic and the Americas.
Names and symbols
The first true French Royal Navy (
The original symbol of the French Navy was a golden anchor, which, beginning in 1830, was interlaced by a sailing rope; this symbol was featured on all naval vessels, arms, and uniforms.[11] Although anchor symbols are still used on uniforms, a new naval logo was introduced in 1990 under Naval Chief of Staff Bernard Louzeau, featuring a modern design that incorporates the tricolour—by flanking the bow section of a white warship with two ascending red and blue spray foams—and the inscription "Marine nationale".
History
French Armed Forces |
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Components |
Ranks |
History |
17th century
Cardinal Richelieu personally supervised the Navy until his death in 1643.
During this century, the Navy cut its teeth in the
18th century
The 1700s opened with the War of the Spanish Succession, over a decade long, followed by the War of the Austrian Succession in the 1740s. Principal engagements of these wars include the Battle of Vigo Bay and two separate Battles of Cape Finisterre in 1747. The most grueling conflict for the Navy, however, was the Seven Years' War, in which it was virtually destroyed.[12] Significant actions include the Battle of Cap-Français, the Battle of Quiberon Bay, and another Battle of Cape Finisterre.
The Navy regrouped and rebuilt, and within 15 years it was eager to join the fray when France intervened in the American Revolutionary War.[12] Though outnumbered everywhere, the French fleets held the British at bay for years until victory.[12] After this conflict and the concomitant Anglo-French War (1778–1783), the Navy emerged at a new height in its history.[12] Major battles in these years include the Battle of the Chesapeake, the Battle of Cape Henry, the Battle of Grenada, the invasion of Dominica, and three separate Battles of Ushant.
Within less than a decade, however, the Navy was decimated by the French Revolution when large numbers of veteran officers were dismissed or executed for their noble lineage.[12] Nonetheless, the Navy fought vigorously through the French Revolutionary Wars as well as the Quasi-War. Significant actions include a fourth Battle of Ushant (known in English as the Glorious First of June), the Battle of Groix, the Atlantic campaign of May 1794, the French expedition to Ireland, the Battle of Tory Island, and the Battle of the Nile.
19th century
Other engagements of the Revolutionary Wars ensued in the early 1800s, including the
When
After Napoleon's fall in 1815, the long era of Anglo-French rivalry on the seas began to close, and the Navy became more of an instrument for expanding the French colonial empire.[12] Under King Charles X, the two nations' fleets fought side by side in the Battle of Navarino, and throughout the rest of the century they generally behaved in a manner that paved the way for the Entente Cordiale.[12]
Charles X sent a large fleet to execute the
The Emperor
The Navy continued to protect colonial safety and expansion under the
The 19th century French Navy brought forth numerous new technologies. It led the development of
During the latter part of the century, French officers developed the so-called Jeune École (Young School) theory that emphasized the use of small, cheap torpedo boats to destroy expensive battleships, coupled with long-range commerce raiders to attack an opponent's merchant fleet.
20th century
The first
Despite that innovation, the general development of the French Navy slowed down in the beginning of the 20th century as the naval arms race between Germany and Great Britain grew in intensity.It entered
Between the World Wars, the Navy modernized and expanded significantly, even in the face of limitations set by the 1922
which was the largest and most powerful of its day.From the start of
The Navy later provided fire support and troop transport in the
.
Since 2000, the Navy has given logistical support to the
Organisation
The chief of the naval staff is Vice-admiral d’escadre Arnaud de Tarlé,[17] and as of 2014 the Navy has an active strength of 36,776 military personnel and 2,909 civilian staff.[18] The Navy is organised into four main operational branches:
- The Force d'Action Navale(Naval Action Force) – Surface fleet.
- The Forces Sous-marines(Submarine forces) – Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and fleet submarines.
- The Aviation Navale(Naval air force) – Ground and sea-based aircraft.
- The Fusiliers Marins (Naval riflemen) – Protection force and infantry including the Navy special forces (Commandos Marine).
In addition, the National Gendarmerie of France maintain a maritime force of patrol boats that falls under the operational command of the French Navy:
- The Gendarmerie maritime– The coast guard of France.
During most of the Cold War, the Navy was organised in two squadrons based in Brest and Toulon, commanded by ALESCLANT (Amiral commandant l'escadre de l'Atlantique) and ALESCMED (Amiral commandant l'escadre de la Méditerranée) respectively. Since the post-Cold War restructuring process named Optimar '95, the two components have been divided into the Naval Action Force (commanded by ALFAN) and the Antisubmarine Group (commanded by ALGASM).[19]
As of 2014, the largest French naval base is the
Equipment
Ships and submarines
Although French
The French Navy operates three
In addition the French Navy operates six light surveillance frigates and, as of 2020, six
Aircraft
The French Naval Aviation is officially known as the Aéronautique navale and was created on the 19 June 1998 with the merging of Naval patrol aircraft and aircraft carrier squadrons. It has a strength of around 6,800 civilian and military personnel operating from four airbases in Metropolitan France. The Aéronavale has been modernized with 40 Rafale fighters which operate from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
Personnel
Personnel strength of the French Navy 2015 | ||
Category | Strength | |
---|---|---|
Commissioned officers | 4,500 | |
Petty officers | 23,600 | |
Seamen | 6,600 | |
Volunteers | 767 | |
Civilian employees | 2,800 | |
Source:[20] |
Application requirement
Seamen
Seamen must be at least 17 but no more than 30 years old, with no minimum level of schooling.
Petty Officers
Petty officers must be at least 17 but no more than 30 years old, with at least a high school diploma giving access to university studies.
Petty Officer Candidate begin training with five months at the Petty Officer School of Maistrance at Brest.
Contract officers
Contract officers serve on an initial eight-year contract, renewable up to 20 years.
- Operational officers must be 21 to 26 years old, with at least a Bachelor of Science degree, or having passed a classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles in engineering or business.
- Staff officers have to be 21 to 29 years old, with an honors degree or master's degree in a field corresponding to the military occupational specialty.
Career officers
- Less than 22 years old, having passed a classe préparatoire in science. After four years at the École Navale (naval academy) a cadet will graduate as a commissioned Enseigne de Vaisseauwith an engineering degree.
- Less than 25 years old, having an honors degree in science. After three years at the naval academy a cadet will graduate as Enseigne de Vaisseau with an engineering degree.
- Less than 27 years old, having a master's degree. After two years at the naval academy a cadet will graduate as an Enseigne de Vaisseau.
Customs and traditions
Ranks
The
Commissioned officer ranks
The rank insignia of
NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | Student officer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
French Navy[21] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amiral de France | Amiral | Vice-amiral d'escadre
|
Vice-amiral | Contre-amiral | Capitaine de vaisseau | Capitaine de frégate | Capitaine de corvette | Lieutenant de vaisseau | Enseigne de vaisseau de 1re classe | Enseigne de vaisseau de 2e classe | Aspirant | Élève-officier |
Other ranks
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
French Navy[21] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Major | Maître principal | Premier maître | Maître | Second-maître | Quartier-maître de 1ère classe | Quartier-maître de 2ème classe | Matelot breveté | Matelot |
Addressing officers
Unlike in the French Army and air and space force, one does not prepend mon to the name of the rank when addressing an officer (that is, not mon capitaine, but simply capitaine).[22]
Uniforms
-
Winter Uniform (22)
-
Summer Uniform (26)
-
Overseas (25)
-
Light Duty Firefighter Suit
-
Gendarmerie Maritime personnel
Military music
The main military musical unit of the French Navy is the Military Band of the
In
Future
France's
Construction has started on the first of six
The first MM40 Exocet Block 3 missile was test-fired in 2010 to be produced. Naval versions of the SCALP EG land-attack cruise missile are under development, along with a planned Aster Block 1NT with greater capabilities against ballistic missiles.
In October 2018, the French Ministry of Defence launched an 18-month study for €40 million for the eventual future replacement of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle beyond 2030. A decision to build the new carrier was taken by President Emmanuel Macron in 2020[31] and once it enters service it is anticipated to remain in service until beyond 2080.[32][33] Construction of the new carrier is to begin in around 2025 with service entry anticipated in the latter 2030s.
Privateers
- du Casse
- Lieutenant général des Armées navales Duguay-Trouin
- Chef d'escadre Jean Bart
- Pierre Bouvet
- Cassard
- Surcouf
- Thurot
Heroes of the First Republic
- admiral de Latouche-Tréville
- Vice-admiral de Villaret-Joyeuse
- Bruix
- Rear Admiral du Chayla
- du Petit Thouars
- Capitaine de vaisseau Casabianca
Explorers
- Lieutenant général des Armées navales Bougainville
- d'Entrecasteaux
- Chef d'escadre Dumont d'Urville
- Lapérouse
- Captain Samuel de Champlain
- Captain d'Iberville
- Captain Nicolas Baudin
- Captain Louis de Freycinet
- Commander Doudart de Lagrée
- Lieutenant de St Aloüarn
- Lieutenant Francis Garnier
- Lieutenant Savorgnan de Brazza
- Admiral Florent de Varennes—first admiral of France
- Admiral Jean de Vienne—admiral of the French fleet during the Hundred Years' War
- Admiral Hervé de Portzmoguer— Breton naval commander, renowned for his raids on the English and his death in the Battle of St. Mathieu
- d'Estaing—admiral of the French fleet which helped the United States secure independence
- Admiral de Grasse—commander of the French fleet at Chesapeake Bay during the American Revolutionary War.
- Admiral Courbet-commander of the Far East Squadron.
- Vice-Admiral Tourville—commander of the French fleet at the Battle of Beachy Head
- Battle of Agosta
- Lieutenant commander Paul Teste, pioneer of the modern aeronaval operations.
- Vice-Admiral Jean-Paul de Saumeur, often called Chevalier Paul, served in several Mediterranean campaigns.
- Marcel Cerdan, world boxing champion during the 1940s
- Jean Cocteau, poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker
- Jean Cras, composer
- Jacques-Yves Cousteau
- Philippe de Gaulle, the son of the general Charles de Gaulle
- Alain Delon, actor, served as a fusilier marin in the First Indochina War
- Bob Denard, a mercenary notorious for coup attempts and wars in Africa
- Jean Gabin, another major French actor, he joined the free French naval force during the Second World War
- Paul Gauguin, painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer
- Bernard Giraudeau, actor, film director, scriptwriter, producer and writer
- André Marty, a leading figure in the French Communist Party from 1923 to 1955
- Albert II, Prince of Monaco, reserve Lieutenant Commander
- Pierre Loti, mostly known for his literary works
- Albert Roussel, composer
- Michel Serres, philosopher and author
- Eric Tabarly, yachtsman
- Victor Segalen, ethnographer, archaeologist, writer, poet, explorer, art-theorist, linguist and literary critic
- Eugène Sue, a famous 19th-century novelist
- Paul Emile Victor, an ethnologist and polar explorer
See also
Marine Nationale
- Chief of Staff of the French Navy
- Airborne Units of the French Navy
- Escorteur
- Far East Squadron
- French 100 mm naval gun
- List of aircraft carriers of France
- List of Escorteurs of the French Navy
- List of French naval battles
- List of Naval Ministers of France
- Standing French Navy Deployments
- Category:French Navy admirals
- Category:French Navy officers
- Category:Naval ships of France
Notes
References
- ^ "Defence Key Figures: 2016 Edition". Ministère des Armėes. (download PDF file or see HTML version Archived 6 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ "Forces de surface". Ministère des Armėes. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2019". Flightglobal: 16. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ISBN 978-1136627248.
- ^ "The Royal Navy: Britain's Trident for a Global Agenda". henryjacksonsociety.org. Henry Jackson Society. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2006.
- ISBN 978-0742533332.
...the United States and the United Kingdom have the world's two best world-spanning blue-water navies... with the French being the only other candidate... and China being the most likely competitor in the long term
- ^ Suciu, Peter (2021-04-07). "France's Brand New Aircraft Carrier is On Its Way". The National Interest. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
- ^ Yeo, Mike (2022-06-17). "China Launches Third Carrier". DefenseNews. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
- ^ "Forces". Ministère des Armėes. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
- ^ "Key defence figures 2014" (PDF) (in French). Ministère des Armėes. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-12-13.
- ^ L'Ordonnance royale de 1772 prévoit le port de l'ancre d'or sur les tenues des régiments des ports constituant le corps royal de la Marine, implantés à Toulon, Brest, Rochefort, Saint-Malo, Bordeaux, Le Havre, Bayonne et Cherbourg.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-68247-060-2.
- ^ Wawro, Geoffrey: The Franco-Prussian War: The German conquest of France in 1870–1871
- ^ Wilhelm Rustow and John Layland Needham: The Way for the Rhine Frontier, 1870: Its Political and Military History
- ^ Description and photograph of Foudre
- ^ "French Navy, World War 1". Naval-history.net. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
- ^ "État-major" (in French). Defense.gouv.fr. 2011-09-15. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
- Ministry of Defence (France). 18 July 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
- ^ T.D. Young, Command in NATO after the Cold War, Carlisle Barracks, 1997
- ^ Chiffres clés de la Défense – 2016 Retrieved 2017-03-06.
- ^ Rapport sur la féminisation des noms de métier, fonction, grade ou titre – La diversité des usages
- ^ "Musique des Équipages de la Flotte" (in French). Ministère des Armées. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ISSN 0829-7983. Archived from the originalon 31 July 2020.
- ^ "French White Paper: Defence and National Security" (PDF). Government of France. 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Projet De Loi De programmation Militarie 2014/2019" (PDF) (in French). August 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24.
- ^ "DCNS to unveil new FREMM Frigate variant, updated BRAVE supply ship design at Euronaval 2012". Navy Recognition. 4 October 2012.
- ^ "Update to French Military Planning Law Means New Capabilities for Lafayette Class Frigates". Navy Recognition. 21 May 2015.
- ^ Cabirol, Michel (15 June 2018). "Pétrolier ravitailleur : la France monte à bord du programme italien Vulcano". Le Tribune (in French).
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (13 April 2023). "Dernière navigation pour le BCR Marne, qui passe le flambeau au BRF Jacques Chevallier". Mer et Marine (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ Mackenzie, Christina (8 December 2020). "Macron kicks off French race to build a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier". DefenseNews. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "France starts study phase for new aircraft carrier". Naval Today. 24 October 2018. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ^ Briganti, de, Giovanni (24 October 2018). "France Launches Studies for New Aircraft Carrier". Defense Aerospace. Paris. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
Further reading
- Auphan, Paul, & Jacques Mordal. The French Navy in World War II (Naval Institute Press, 2016).
- Dull, Jonathan R. The French Navy and American Independence (Princeton University Press, 2015).
- Jenkins, E H (1973). A History of the French Navy from its Beginnings to the Present Day. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0356-04196-4.
- Randier, Jean (2006). La Royale: L'histoire illustrée de la Marine nationale française. Babouji-MDV Maîtres du Vent. ISBN 978-2-35261-022-9.
- Winfield, Rif and Roberts, Stephen S., French Warships in the Age of Sail, 1626-1786: Design, Constructions, Careers and Fates (Seaforth Publishing, 2017) ISBN 978-1-84832-204-2.
External links
- (in French) Marine nationale—Official site
- (in English) French Navy 2011—Guide Book
- (in English) French Navy 2011—Information File
- (in English) Net-Marine—A well documented database on French navy.
- (in French) Mer & Marine—Main website on French maritime affairs (only in French)
- (in English) French Fleet Air Arm, about French naval aviation.
- (in English) French Navy in World War 1, including warship losses