BATRAL

BATRAL-class landing ship

BATRAL-class landing ship

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The Bâtiment de Transport Léger (abbreviated BATRAL; "Light ferry ship") are small landing ships of the French Navy. Also known as Champlain class by the lead ship,[2] they have been used for regional transport and patrol needs in French Overseas Departments and Territories since the 1970s.[1] On 9 January 2014 it was announced that the two remaining Batrals in French service would be replaced in 2015/16 by three (subsequently four) 1500-tonne Bâtiments Multimission (B2M) at a cost of ~€100m (US$136m).[1]

Quick Facts Class overview, General characteristics ...

Design

The BATRALs can ferry over 400 tons of matériel, in the hangar and on the deck. Loading and unloading can be done from a harbour or on a beach. Two flat-bottom vessels allow unloading fifty men and light vehicles each. The accommodations are designed for a Guépard-type intervention unit (five officers, fifteen petty officers and 118 men), or for typical company-sized armoured units. A helicopter landing deck allows landing for light helicopters, and transfer to and from heavy helicopters.

History

The Chilean Navy purchased the plans and built three ships in the ASMAR shipyards in the early 1980s.

Ships

French Navy
  • Champlain decommissioned
  • Francis Garnier decommissioned
  • Dumont D'Urville decommissioned in July 2017
  • Jacques Cartier decommissioned[3]
  • La Grandière decommissioned in 2016
Chilean Navy
  • Maipo (LST-91) 1982–1998
  • Rancagua (LST-92) 1983–present
  • Chacabuco (LST-95) 1986–present
Côte d'Ivoire Navy
  • L'Elephant
Gabon Navy
  • President el Hadj Omar Bongo (L05)
Royal Moroccan Navy
  • Daoud Ben Aicha (402)
  • Ahmed Es Skali (403)
  • Abou Abdallah El Ayachi (404)
  • Francis Garnier at sea
  • Francis Garnier in port
  • Dumont D'Urville with her landing bow opened

References

  1. [1]
    Pape, Alex (9 January 2014). "France orders three new multimission vessels". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly.
  2. [2]
    Champlain class
  3. [3]
    "Le Batral Jacques Cartier est rentré en France" [The landing ship Jacques Cartier returned to France]. Marine Nationale (in French). Ministère de la Défense. 15 July 2013.
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