The French defense procurement agency (DGA) ordered the fifth FDI frigate for the French Navy (Marine Nationale) from Naval Group. The vessel, to be named Amiral Cabanier, will be built at the shipyard in Lorient.
The order announcement was made today by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. No expected delivery date for this fifth (and final for now) vessel was disclosed in the official communication.
For the record, as far as French Navy FDIs are concerned, the first four ships in the class were ordered by DGA to Naval Group as follow:
- Amiral Ronarc’h, ordered in April 2017, delivered in October 2025
- Amiral Louzeau, ordered in March 2021, launch expected in Q2 2026
- Amiral Castex, ordered in March 2021,
- Amiral Nomy, ordered in December 2025,
The first-in-class ship, Amiral Ronarc’h (D660) is currently conducting its long-term deployment (often called long cruise or check down cruise) before formally entering active duty. The frigate’s commanding officer told Naval News during an interview in Sweden that this major step is expected between the Summer and year’s end.
Displacing 4,500 tons, the FDI is a first rank surface combatant equipped with high-performance systems for anti-air (AAW), anti-surface (ASuW), and anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Capable of deploying a NH90 NFH helicopter and special forces, it also benefits from advanced communications and data link capabilities, facilitating its integration into national or allied operations.
Designed for long-term, distant deployments in crisis zones, the Amiral Ronarc’h frigate stands out for its versatility and modularity. It is designed to withstand both asymmetric attacks and high-intensity naval combat, integrating cutting-edge digital and data processing technologies to address current and future threats.
The next four frigates in the series – Amiral Louzeau, Amiral Castex, Amiral Nomy and Amiral Cabanier – will complete the French fleet in the coming years, in accordance with the 2024-2030 French military planning law.
The keel laying of the first FDI took place in December 2021 and the launch in November 2022. Amiral Ronarc’h was delivered by Naval Group on October 17, 2025. The first FDI for the Hellenic Navy, HS Kimon was delivered on December 18, 2025. The next five ships in the series (three for the Hellenic Navy and two for the French Navy) are still expected be delivered before 2030. The Naval Group shipyard in Lorient has been totally revamped to be able to scale up and deliver two FDI frigates per year.
A total of five vessels are set to be delivered to France. In addition, three frigates are currently under construction for Greece, with an option for a fourth unit officially enforced in November 2025.
Lastly, Naval Group is pitching the FDI to Sweden, Denmark, as well as to Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
More firepower for French FDI frigates
As previously reported by Naval News, France is in the process of increasing the firepower of the Amiral Ronarc’h-class frigate. The fourth and the fifth ships-in-class will be built with an expanded vertical launch system (VLS) configuration. The decision marks a substantial upgrade to the class’s anti-air warfare capabilities. The first three FDI frigates—Amiral Ronarc’h, Amiral Louzeau, and Amiral Castex—will subsequently undergo retrofits to match this enhanced configuration.
In their baseline configuration, French FDI frigates feature two Sylver A50 vertical launch systems with a total of 16 cells for MBDA Aster 15 and Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles. This arrangement provides robust self-defense and limited area air defense capabilities. The decision to double this capacity to 32 cells aligns the French Navy’s configuration with enhanced export variants already under construction, most notably the Hellenic Navy’s Kimon-class frigates, which feature the expanded VLS arrangement.
A source with knowledge of the matter recently confirmed to Naval News that contractors, DGA and the French Navy are in the final contractual negotiations.
