US Central Command highlighted the role of the French frigate. “The French Navy have announced that the Languedoc (D653), a FREMM Multi-Mission Frigate, shot down two Houthi drones in the Red Sea off the Coast of Yemen that were launched from Yemen,” US Central Command said.
This is important. The Languedoc is a new advanced multi-purpose frigate that specializes in anti-submarine warfare. It also carries air defenses. It is part of a relatively new program of frigate building that has seen eight similar frigates in the French navy put to sea as part of the same class. The Languedoc was launched in 2014 and commissioned in 2016 in the naval base of Toulon. It is 142 meters long and has a crew of around 120.
Visits by French ships are important for Israel-France ties
What is interesting about this particular warship is that it docked in Haifa in March 2019 during a routine visit by the French navy to Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean. The Alsace, another frigate in the same class of ships that specializes in air defenses, also came to Haifa in February 2023. These visits by French ships are important for Israel-France ties and also as part of France’s deployment of naval assets in the region. READ MORE
