The ''Flamant''-class patrol vessel are a series of three Type OPV54

patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

s of the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

used for fishery monitoring,

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

, and patrolling France's exclusive economic zone out to .

Boats

The three boats were ordered in August 1993 and entered service in October and December 1997. They are based at

Cherbourg Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Feb ...

. In addition to their usual facilities the boats are also equipped with two tanks for anti-pollutants, and a water cannon for fire fighting. They have a plant capable of producing 15 tonnes of fresh water per day by

reverse osmosis Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process that uses a partially permeable membrane to separate ions, unwanted molecules and larger particles from drinking water. In reverse osmosis, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pre ...

. The boats have an area for

vertical replenishment Vertical replenishment, or VERTREP, is a method of supply of seaborne vessels by helicopter. The United States Department of Defense defines VERTREP as: ...the transfer of cargo between ships using helicopters. VERTREP is often used to supplement ...

. Each boat carries a

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the Sun path, apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. ...

"Hurricane"

rigid-hulled inflatable boat A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are ...

, powered by a

water jet Water jet may refer to: * A jet of water under pressure, like in an ornamental fountain * Pump-jet, a marine propulsion mechanism for jetskis and other types of boats * Water jet cutter, a tool for cutting and the machining of engineering material ...

engine that gives a top speed of . Replacement of this class is currently envisaged after 2026 with a new class of significantly larger patrol vessels.

Ships

* P676 ''Flamant'', laid down March 1994, launched 24 April 1995, entered service 18 December 1997. * P677 ''Cormoran'', laid down 25 May 1994, launched 15 May 1995, entered service 29 October 1997. * P678 ''Pluvier'', laid down 1995, launched 1996, entered service 18 December 1997.

References

{{Reflist Patrol vessels of the French Navy Patrol boat classes