FS Mistral (L9013)

History

The FS Mistral is one of the main amphibious assault ships of the French Navy (also classified as a "command and projection ship"). Since its inception in 2005, the vessel has proven itself in numerous operations - especially in rescue operations.

Due to the various on-board measures implemented in her design, Mistral can manage the entire force and vehicle while serving the wounded. As a high-performance ship, the multi-purpose ship FS Mistral will provide the French Navy with a long and active life - whether supporting amphibious operations, evacuating refugees, treating large numbers of wounded and sick, or supplying forward combat troops. [/p ]

Amphibious landings are one of the most complex and dangerous military exercises, requiring great attention to detail, capable components, and fine-tuning of well-functioning machines. Amphibious assault has been the weapon of generals ever since the first fighters landed on ships against the enemy.

Amphibious assault proved to be a major strategic move throughout World War II, underpinning the practice of modern warfare. So eventually a special kind of battleship was born out of the battle, dedicated to supporting such operations, aptly named "Amphibious Assault Ships".

Amphibious assault ships offer war planners unprecedented flexibility when trying to land ground forces on enemy territory from the sea. Today's ships can transport tanks, vehicles, personnel, machinery and support aircraft to ensure a higher success rate than ever before. The Mistral-class amphibious assault ship is a relatively new addition to the French navy and could function well. FS Mistral is itself the main ship of her trio class, which includes FS Tonnerre (L9014) and FS Dixmude (L9015).

She was laid on July 10, 2003, constructed by DCNS, launched on October 6, 2004, and officially commissioned in December 2005. The Mistral's home port is in Toulon, France. The class replaced the Ouragan (L9021) and Orage (L9022) that were in service with the French Navy at the time.

Mistral was completed in three main stages during construction. This includes the bow, mid and stern areas. The bow section was completed by Alstom Marine-Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, while the mid and stern sections were completed by DCN.

Final assembly takes place at the Brest shipyard. During the design phase, all representatives of the French Army and Navy contributed to the development of the Mistral to best suit the purpose of the army.

In terms of design, the FS Mistral features a unique shape with the look of a passenger cruise ship hull, with pointed toes, plate sides and a truncated stern. The boat has a spacious flight deck suitable for receiving and launching gyrocopters from stern, midship and bow positions - indeed multiple helicopters can be launched simultaneously from six landing modes, taking advantage of the northwesterly wind.

Her basic navigation bridge is located at the front of the starboard island structure and consists mainly of a pair of masts. Air traffic control is managed from a position behind the island's superstructure. Radar, sensors, TV satellites and navigation equipment are all on the island. Her communications suite allows the ship to be used as a command post for large-scale operations, including as the flagship of the fleet.

Four chimneys can be seen at the rear of the superstructure, depleting the propulsion system buried deep in the hull. Various openings on the sides of the boat allow access to the sea, while the stern houses the main sea access. Cranes powered by heavy industry can be seen ahead of the stern section and behind the island.

Two elevators on the rear and rear starboard sides of the flight deck provide access to the hangar area below. Inside, there are three main floors at the rear of the ship - the first is the helicopter hangar. The next deck is reserved for crafting, with a ramp leading to the last deck near the waterline.

This has a variety of uses, allowing for more vehicle storage, vehicle loading on support ships, and launch areas for maritime support ships. The midship deck contains sleeping areas, a complete hospital, various operating rooms, etc. The hospital includes two operating theatres (expandable to six), a burn treatment room, a dentist's office and a hangar area that can be converted into a temporary medical facility if required. The forward midship is the various crew areas including the mess hall. The hangar area also includes important offshore maintenance workshops, as well as engineers and craftsmen.

The ship is 199 meters long, 32 meters wide and has a draft of 6.2 meters.

FS Mistral normally consists of a crew of over 180 including officers and seamen. If required, an additional 450 people can be carried on board especially at full combat load to support amphibious assault or rescue missions.

She is an electric boat (the world's first fully electric propulsion warship), so her propulsion system consists of 2 Mermaid electric motors, 3 Finnish Wartsila 16V32 series diesel generators and 1 Wartsila Vaasa 18V200 auxiliary diesel Generator composition. Propulsion is by 2 Alstom nacelle PODs (Propulsion Orientation Drives) along the bottom of the stern and an azimuth bow thruster.

All of this powers two engine nacelles in the stern, providing a top speed of around 19 knots in ideal conditions. Structurally noteworthy is the use of deployable stabilizer fins mounted on the sides of each boat below the midship waterline.

Ships like the Mistral were primarily designed as "heavy" ships at sea to support amphibious assaults. As a result, the ship can carry 13 main battle tanks and about 60 other armored, logistical and support vehicles. Mistral's air force consists of several different types of helicopters, ranging from as many as 35 light helicopters to 16 heavy helicopters, all used to support beach landings or evacuation.

In terms of support ships, the Mistral can deploy two LCAC hovercraft or four standard landing craft.

The Mistral is defended by a small number of weapons, relying mainly on support ships (eg guided missile frigates) for heavy external protection. The main long-range defense consists of 2 x MBDA France Simbad Mistral surface-to-air missiles (one launcher at the bow and the other at the stern). These are supported by 2 x 30mm Breda Mauser dual-purpose cannons (one at the bow and the other at the stern). Close defense is provided by up to 4 x 12.7mm Browning M2HB machine guns, suitable for attacking low-flying aircraft or lightly armored ground targets.

Thales' ARBR 21 radar warning receiver kit manages incoming threats to ships. Monitoring was provided by a Thales Naval France MMR-3D NG G-band multipurpose radar.

Mistral has been used in some high-profile situations so far. Less than a year after the voyage, Mistral was sent to the Middle East in July 2006 to assist in the evacuation of Europeans (mostly French) from the Lebanese-Israeli war front. During the operation, the French Navy issued "Operation Baliste" (referring to the pelagic family "Balistidae", such as "Triggerfish").

By August, about 14,500 to 15,000 people had moved safely. Likewise, in 2011, Mistral was involved in the resettlement of refugees trying to evacuate fighting in Libya, which by then had become a brutal conflict that culminated in the long-ruling dictator Muammar al-Qaza Phil died.

French design has also aroused great interest abroad. In early February 2010, the Russian authorities agreed to an agreement with the French government under which at least two Mistral-class ships would be built and delivered to the Russian Navy. Both DCN and Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation were involved in the construction. The deal also includes options for two more such vessels if needed at a later date. The agreement was finalized the following summer, although it would take several years for the ship to be officially completed, delivered, evaluated and officially commissioned.

The first is expected to be completed in 2014 and the second in 2015.

October 2016 - Due to the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia, two Mistral-class warships destined for the Russian Navy were sold to the Egyptian Navy. They serve as ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser (L1010) and ENS Anwar El Sadat (L1020).

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