Mistral - the wind from the sea

The French Navy has incorporated lessons from decades of amphibious operations, as well as some innovative COTS technology, in its new Mistral-class amphibious landing ships.
Over recent years, the ability to land and support rapid deployment forces has become increasingly important, resulting in a requirement for specially adapted vessels with vastly enhanced capability. A military force which wishes to establish a beachhead far from its own borders must have pre-positional dissuasive capacity so that it can send combat-ready troops as close as possible to the hotspot, maintain them in a state of alert over a long period, and prepare them for engagement as the crisis evolves.

This is an enduring operational requirement of the French Ministry of Defence, which is about to take delivery of the first of its new-generation Mistral-class LHDs, or BPC (bâtiment de projection et de commandement) as they are designated in France.

The Mistral-class BPC is now being offered on the global market by Paris-based consortium Armaris, a joint venture between French naval constructor DCN and Thales Naval France. As a prime contractor for complete naval programs, Armaris aims to win new business by offering naval forces (navies, marine corps, coastguards, and similar customers) complete solutions built around the capabilities of its two partners.

Its main objective is to win prime contracts for international naval programs and to promote DCN and Thales Naval France systems and services on the world market. Armaris offers a broad range of integrated and customized systems for naval defence (complete warships, combat systems, etc.), assumes prime contractor responsibilities and provides overall associated services (project definition, training, technology transfer, maintenance, support infrastructure and simulators).

After surveying the world market of amphibious ships the last few years, Australia's Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) pre-selected the French Navy's new Mistral-class LHD design as a possible candidate for JP 2048 - Amphibious Deployment and Sustainment. On 30 September 2004, Armaris signed a contract with the Commonwealth to deliver a preliminary study as part of JP2048. This six-month study concentrates on the feasibility of local construction of an LHD based on France's new Mistral-class LHD/Projection and Command Ship (BPC - Bâtiment de Projection et de Commandement). It will include an estimate of the associated costs of building it in Australia.

At almost the same time, in late-2004 DCN launched Mistral, the first of class, at its shipyard in Brest with Australian dignitaries present. This modern, 21,600 tonne, 200 metre vessel was launched less than three years after the initial hull assembly was begun in July 2002. Simultaneously, construction of a second BPC - Tonnerre - is well under way, with delivery scheduled for 2006.

Mistral is currently undertaking constructor's sea trials based on her construction yard at Brest. These are being conducted by DCN and will last until mid-2005. They include loading and disembarkation exercises - the first helicopter deck landings took place in March this year and the first trial disembarkation of a heavy amphibious intervention group was scheduled to take place near Brest in April. This will see the loading and then tactical disembarkation of 55 vehicles and 450 troops. The remaining constructor's trials will evaluate the ship's open sea performance.

In mid-2005 the ship will be handed over to the French defence ministry's acquisition organisation, the Delegation Generale pour l'Armement (DGA) before being starting French Navy acceptance trials during the northern summer.

Mistral will then undergo a six month Operational Test and Evaluation program by the French T&E authority, the Commission permanente des programmes et des essais (CPPE). These trials will validate the operational capabilities of the ship including her maximum payload and open sea performance. Once this evaluation is successfully completed the CPPE will recommend to the French Chief of Navy that she be formally accepted into naval service. Once she enters operational service Mistral will immediately join the French Navy's order of battle.

The Mistral is the lead ship in the fourth generation of amphibious vessels developed by DCN since the French navy acquired its first amphibious capability soon after World War 2. As the most heavily tasked assets within the French surface navy, these amphibious ships have been developed and refined on the basis of regular operational feedback from the French navy and land forces.

The Mistral-class LHDs are amphibious, multipurpose assault ships which can be used for rapid combat deployment, preventative intervention, and humanitarian missions. They are equipped to accommodate a command centre and troops for an autonomous national or coalition naval force. Their flooding well dock enables significant force projection missions, including:

* landing of mechanized units

* coordinated operations against naval or land-based assets using aerial surveillance

* logistic support of a naval group

* humanitarian and evacuation operations.

For intervention, the Mistral can embark the necessary equipment, troops and helicopters for amphibious or air-mobile deployment aimed at land-based targets, as well as a comprehensive suite of surveillance, communications and support equipment. The Mistral-class is designed with a command centre for embarked Flag/Joint Task Force command teams and equipped with a variant of DCN's SENIT naval command and control system. The ship's self-defence system comprises two 30-mm guns, two VSRAD missile systems, one 3D radar and two electro-optical fire control systems.

She can land and support a completely mechanized armoured regiment. Each ship can launch four medium-size landing craft (LCMs) for troops and materiel, or two LCAC-class hovercraft of 95 tons each, to land tanks and other infantry vehicles stored onboard in the 2,650 m2 well dock. The Mistral-Class LHD also has six helicopter landing spots, one capable of handling CH-53 Super Stallion types, on a 5,200 m2 flight deck. A 18,000 m2 hangar, with two elevators can store and maintain 16 helicopters.

Thanks to its flexible machinery layout, the Mistral-class design enables extensive re-organisation and re-configuration to accommodate different payload mixes of landing craft, vehicles and helicopters. Payload capabilities include up to one third of an armoured regiment's combat vehicles (approximately 1,000 tons); and 450 troops

The Mistral can also provide operational logistics and medical support, serving as a floating hospital. This hospital comprises about twenty rooms for operating theatres, x-ray rooms, and over 60 beds. The helicopter hangar can also be transformed into a makeshift combat hospital to increase the hospital's medical capacity.

The Mistral-class is designed to meet civilian standards for naval construction, and conforms to MARPOL international antipollution regulations. In terms of industrial assembly, the fact that construction is divided between two shipyards - DCN and the Chantiers de l'Atlantique (Alstom group) - opens new horizons for industrial cooperation: the design enables modular construction and final assembly.

The Mistral class' twin screws are driven through two externally-mounted propulsor pods mounted below the keel, rather than traditional propeller shafts. Advantages include silent operation (for both acoustic discretion and onboard comfort); simpler power and propulsion systems; a more flexible internal layout due to the absence of the propeller shafts; and excellent manoeuvrability due to the 360 degree-steerable propulsors.

The ship's fully-automated platform management systems (PMS) offers maximum safety and reduced crewing. Life-cycle support costs are also lower thanks to built-in provision for the optimal management of all maintenance operations.

By Gregor Ferguson, Adelaide