DCN
Encyclopedia
DCNS is a naval defence company based in France
and is one of Europe's leading shipbuilders.
The group designs, builds and supports surface combatants, submarines, systems and equipments. DCNS is also expanding into new markets in civil nuclear energy, marine renewable energy and naval and industrial services.
The acronym DCN has been replaced by a brand: DCNS.
It has subsidiaries in Brazil, Bulgaria, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. DCNS also has offices in Chile, Greece, Italy and Pakistan.
Horizon class frigates
These frigates are designed to provide anti-air cover for carrier groups and local or extended cover against saturation missile attacks in severe electromagnetic environments. They feature anti-air weapons, including tens of Aster missiles in Sylver vertical launchers. The combat system includes a hull-mounted sonar, the SLAT anti-torpedo system, anti-ship missiles, lightweight torpedoes and an electronic warfare suite.
Horizon frigates are designed to accommodate a heavy helicopter (NH90, EH 101 or similar) and to conduct flight operations under a wide range of conditions. The French and Italian navies have ordered two Horizon frigates each.
FREMM class frigates
FREMM is the most recent generation of European frigates.
FM400 class frigates
A 4000-ton frigate design that is offered in four different configurations
Gowind class corvettes
Swordship class Warship
Ecoship : applying eco-design to warships
Charles De Gaulle nuclear aircraft carrier
The Charles de Gaulle, in service since late 2000, carries up to 40 aircraft — including Rafale multi-role combat aircraft and Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft — which can be launched at a rate of one every 30 seconds.
The automated Senit combat management system (CMS) controls all weapon systems, including the ship’s Aster self-defence missiles. The communications suite includes Link 16 tactical datalinks for interoperability with NATO forces.
PA2 (Porte Avions 2) Future Aircraft Carrier
Mistral class amphibious assault ship
The Mistral class is a class of three amphibious assault ships, also known as a helicopter carrier, of the French Navy. Russia has announced its intention to purchase one such vessel.
The Redoutable class submarine is a ballistic missile submarine
class of the French Marine Nationale
. The first submarine, Redoutable, was ordered in 1963, built at Cherbourg, launched in 1967 and commissioned in 1971. The sixth, and last, Inflexible was retired in 2008.
Triomphant class submarine
A new class of nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines, the largest ever built in France. Four ships make up the class, Triomphant, Téméraire, Vigilant and Terrible.
Rubis class submarine
Barracuda class submarines
The Barracuda program is scheduled to replace the Rubis-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SNA) with six new-generation submarines, providing the French navy with a powerful asset for the control of maritime areas and the projection of naval power. The first Barracuda-class submarine will be delivered in 2017, and the subsequent vessels will be delivered at the rate of one every two years. The six new submarines will be christened Suffren, Duguay-Trouin, Dupetit-Thouars, Duquesne, Tourville and De Grasse.
Agosta & Agosta 90B class SSKs
The Agosta 90B, also known as the Khalid Class, is a modernised design built for the Pakistan Navy
. Various modifications give lower acoustic signature, lower diving depth, improved battery range and performance. Greater automation also allows the crew to be reduced from 54 to 36. The submarine can be armed with up to 16 torpedoes and SM39 Exocet
anti-ship anti-ship missiles. The SM39 was test-fired from a Khalid-class submarine in 2001.
- PNS/M Khalid (S137) - built in France by DCN Cherbourg, completed in 1999
- PNS/M Saad (S138) - built in Pakistan with French assistance, completed in 2002
- PNS/M Hamza (S139) - built in Pakistan, commissioned 14 August 2006
Scorpene Class SSK
The Chilean Navy
ordered two Scorpène. The Chilean Scorpène class O'Higgins and Carrera were completed in 2005 and 2006, respectively, and are currently in operation.
The Royal Malaysian Navy
ordered two while the Indian Navy
ordered six. All Indian boats will be built in India at Mazagon Dock Limited.
In 2009, the Brazilian Navy
ordered four Scorpene. A fifth hull has been ordered to be fitted with an indigenously developed nuclear propulsion
plant.
Equipped with the MESMA air-independent propulsion system, a Scorpene can remain submerged for periods in excess of 3 weeks.
Andrasta class submarine
Suited to special operations or information-gathering assignments. No Andrasta has yet been ordered.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and is one of Europe's leading shipbuilders.
The group designs, builds and supports surface combatants, submarines, systems and equipments. DCNS is also expanding into new markets in civil nuclear energy, marine renewable energy and naval and industrial services.
History
DCNS has a heritage of 350 years. Major shipyards were built in France in Ruelle (1751), Nantes-Indret (1771), Lorient (1778) and, subsequently, in Cherbourg (1813). Others were to follow. As early as 1926, what we know as DCNS today already had all the facilities now owned by the Group in mainland France.- During the Second World War, the French government had its military ships designed and built by the Direction des constructions navales (DCN), later incorporated into the military procurement agency Délégation générale pour l'armementDélégation Générale pour l'ArmementThe Direction générale de l’armement, which could be translated as “General Directorate for Armament”, or DGA, is the French Government Defence procurement agency responsible for the program management, development and purchase of weapon systems for the French military.-Armament programs...
(DGA).
- In 1997, the French government decided to reform its shipbuilding and procurement system for naval systems. Design and procurement were separated from production. DCN retained the industrial part.
- In 2000, DCN was transformed into a national service under the direct responsibility of the Minister of DefenceMinister of Defence (France)The Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs is the French government cabinet member charged with running the military of France....
, no longer under DGA. In 2001 the French government announced plans to transform DCN into a private company.
- In 2002, DCN and ThalesThales GroupThe Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
established the joint company Armaris to exploit their combined capabilities. This collaboration improved DCN's weapons systems portfolio and increased Thales' business in shipbuilding. Armaris owns 50% of Horizon SAS, the development agency for the French/Italian Horizon frigate programme and 50% of EuroSysNav SAS, the primary contractor for the Horizon's combat system (including DCN's SYLVER launcherSYLVER launcherThe Sylver is a vertical missile launcher designed by DCNS. The launcher comes in several variants, each distinguished by their height...
). Thales is at present working with BAE SystemsBAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
on the contract for the Royal Navy's Future Carrier (CVF)Royal Navy CVF programmeThe Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers are a two-ship class of aircraft carrier being built for the Royal Navy. HMS Queen Elizabeth is expected to enter service in 2016 and HMS Prince of Wales in 2020. HMS Queen Elizabeth will not be built to a CATOBAR configuration, but the second ship HMS...
and submitted a bid for the future French carrier in competition with DCN. However, in June 2002 DCN and Thales extended their collaboration by announcing that they will share the role of primary contractor for the French carrier project.
- On 29 March 2007, DCN and Thales finalised an agreement with the French government and consolidated their naval activities in France. DCN acquired all of Thales' French naval business, excluding its equipment activities, and became the sole shareholder of Armaris and MOPA2. Simultaneously, Thales acquired a 25% stake in DCN along with the French government, which retained a 75% stake.
The acronym DCN has been replaced by a brand: DCNS.
Subsidiaries and Offices
DCNS has its head office in Paris, France. It has production and engineering sites in mainland France in Cherbourg, Brest, Lorient, Nantes-Indret, Ruelle, Toulon and Saint-Tropez.It has subsidiaries in Brazil, Bulgaria, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. DCNS also has offices in Chile, Greece, Italy and Pakistan.
Frigates
La Fayette class frigates and derivatives- Al Riyahd (F3000S Sawari II) Class Frigates (Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
) - Kang Ding Class Frigates (TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
) - FormidableFormidable class frigateThe Formidable class multi-role stealth frigates are the latest surface platforms to enter into service with the Republic of Singapore Navy, and are multi-mission derivatives of the French Navy’s La Fayette class frigate. The frigates are key information nodes and fighting units, and are described...
Class Frigates (SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
)
Horizon class frigates
These frigates are designed to provide anti-air cover for carrier groups and local or extended cover against saturation missile attacks in severe electromagnetic environments. They feature anti-air weapons, including tens of Aster missiles in Sylver vertical launchers. The combat system includes a hull-mounted sonar, the SLAT anti-torpedo system, anti-ship missiles, lightweight torpedoes and an electronic warfare suite.
Horizon frigates are designed to accommodate a heavy helicopter (NH90, EH 101 or similar) and to conduct flight operations under a wide range of conditions. The French and Italian navies have ordered two Horizon frigates each.
- Forbin, . The Forbin is the first of the new Horizon anti-air type for the French Navy.
- Chevalier Paul,
FREMM class frigates
FREMM is the most recent generation of European frigates.
FM400 class frigates
A 4000-ton frigate design that is offered in four different configurations
-
- A general-purpose frigate;
- An anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigate;
- A land-attack frigate frigate; and
- An anti-air warfare (AAW) frigate.
Gowind class corvettes
Swordship class Warship
Ecoship : applying eco-design to warships
Aircraft carriers
Clemenceau class aircraft carriers- ClemenceauClemenceau (R 98)Clemenceau , often affectionately called "le Clem'", was the lead ship of her class, and the 6th aircraft carrier of the French Navy, serving from 1961 to 1997. She was the second French warship to be named after Georges Clemenceau, the first one being a battleship of the Richelieu class, laid...
, - FochFoch (R 99)Foch was the second of the French Navy. She was the second warship named in honour of Marshal Ferdinand Foch, after a heavy cruiser commissioned in 1932, and scuttled in Toulon on 27 November 1942....
, , later to serve with Brazil as São Paulo
Charles De Gaulle nuclear aircraft carrier
The Charles de Gaulle, in service since late 2000, carries up to 40 aircraft — including Rafale multi-role combat aircraft and Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft — which can be launched at a rate of one every 30 seconds.
The automated Senit combat management system (CMS) controls all weapon systems, including the ship’s Aster self-defence missiles. The communications suite includes Link 16 tactical datalinks for interoperability with NATO forces.
PA2 (Porte Avions 2) Future Aircraft Carrier
Amphibious ships
Foudre class LPD- Foudre,
- Sirroco,
Mistral class amphibious assault ship
The Mistral class is a class of three amphibious assault ships, also known as a helicopter carrier, of the French Navy. Russia has announced its intention to purchase one such vessel.
Submarines
Redoutable class submarineThe Redoutable class submarine is a ballistic missile submarine
Ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles .-Description:Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident...
class of the French Marine Nationale
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
. The first submarine, Redoutable, was ordered in 1963, built at Cherbourg, launched in 1967 and commissioned in 1971. The sixth, and last, Inflexible was retired in 2008.
Triomphant class submarine
A new class of nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines, the largest ever built in France. Four ships make up the class, Triomphant, Téméraire, Vigilant and Terrible.
Rubis class submarine
- RubisRubis (S 601)The Rubis is a first-generation nuclear attack submarine of the French Navy, named after the French submarine Rubis which distinguished herself during the Second World War....
(ex-Provence) - Saphir (ex-Bretagne)
- CasabiancaFS CasabiancaThe Casabianca is a first-generation nuclear attack submarine of the French Navy. She is named in honour of the famous submarine of the Free French Naval Forces Casabianca.She is the third of the Rubis series...
(ex-Bourgogne) - Émeraude
- AméthysteFS AméthysteThe Améthyste is a nuclear-powered attack submarine of the French Navy, the fifth of the Rubis type. Her name is a pun on a precious stone and the acronym AMElioration Tactique, HydrodYnamique, Silence, Transmission, Ecoute . She is the first vessel to serve in the French Navy under that name...
- PerleFS PerleThe Perle is a first-generation nuclear attack submarines of the French Navy.She is the sixth and last of the Rubis series.She was deployed in the Royal Navy Auriga 2010 exercise along-side 7 Royal Navy war ships and 1 US navy destroyer....
Barracuda class submarines
The Barracuda program is scheduled to replace the Rubis-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SNA) with six new-generation submarines, providing the French navy with a powerful asset for the control of maritime areas and the projection of naval power. The first Barracuda-class submarine will be delivered in 2017, and the subsequent vessels will be delivered at the rate of one every two years. The six new submarines will be christened Suffren, Duguay-Trouin, Dupetit-Thouars, Duquesne, Tourville and De Grasse.
Agosta & Agosta 90B class SSKs
- Agosta (S 620) - completed 1977 - decommissioned 1997
- Bévéziers (S 621) - completed 1977 - decommissioned 1998
- La Praya (S 622) - completed 1978 - decommissioned 2000 (S 623) - completed 1978 - decommissioned 2001
The Agosta 90B, also known as the Khalid Class, is a modernised design built for the Pakistan Navy
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
. Various modifications give lower acoustic signature, lower diving depth, improved battery range and performance. Greater automation also allows the crew to be reduced from 54 to 36. The submarine can be armed with up to 16 torpedoes and SM39 Exocet
Exocet
The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...
anti-ship anti-ship missiles. The SM39 was test-fired from a Khalid-class submarine in 2001.
- PNS/M Khalid (S137) - built in France by DCN Cherbourg, completed in 1999
- PNS/M Saad (S138) - built in Pakistan with French assistance, completed in 2002
- PNS/M Hamza (S139) - built in Pakistan, commissioned 14 August 2006
Scorpene Class SSK
The Chilean Navy
Chilean Navy
-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
ordered two Scorpène. The Chilean Scorpène class O'Higgins and Carrera were completed in 2005 and 2006, respectively, and are currently in operation.
The Royal Malaysian Navy
Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of Malaysian Armed Forces. All commissioned ships of the RMN have the prefix KD , which means Royal Ship.-Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve:...
ordered two while the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
ordered six. All Indian boats will be built in India at Mazagon Dock Limited.
In 2009, the Brazilian Navy
Brazilian Navy
The Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...
ordered four Scorpene. A fifth hull has been ordered to be fitted with an indigenously developed nuclear propulsion
Nuclear propulsion
Nuclear propulsion includes a wide variety of propulsion methods that fulfil the promise of the Atomic Age by using some form of nuclear reaction as their primary power source.- Surface ships and submarines :...
plant.
Equipped with the MESMA air-independent propulsion system, a Scorpene can remain submerged for periods in excess of 3 weeks.
Andrasta class submarine
Suited to special operations or information-gathering assignments. No Andrasta has yet been ordered.