The French Directorate General of Armament (DGA) has launched a tender for the acquisition of 24 new Maritime Surveillance Coastal Patrol Boats (VCSM), aimed at replacing its current fleet, which is primarily used by the Maritime Gendarmerie for missions related to the State’s action at sea.
Currently, the Maritime Gendarmerie operates twenty-four Élorn-type coastal patrol boats, designed by Raidco Marine and built by Chantiers Navals Bordelais (CNB) in the early 2000s. However, after Cyclone Chido hit Mayotte in December, two of these boats, the Verdon (P602) and the Odet (P611), are now out of service.
The Élorn boats are 19 meters long and displace 41 tons when fully loaded. They are equipped with a 7.62mm machine gun, a water cannon, and a Furuno radar. Operated by a crew of eight gendarmes, these boats can reach a speed of 25 knots and have a range of approximately 400 nautical miles.
In 2019, the DGA initiated the replacement process by issuing a tender under the “New Generation Maritime Surveillance Coastal Patrol Boats” (VCSM NG) program. The shipyard Socarenam was selected to build three new units, two of which were initially intended for French Guiana. However, these plans were altered, and the first two boats, the Maroni and Oyapock, were reassigned to Dunkirk and Boulogne. The third boat, the Aber Ildut, was sent to Cherbourg instead of Roscoff.
As the Élorn boats approach the end of their service life, the DGA has recently issued a new tender to replace them. The specifications for the new boats will be similar to those of the VCSM NG units currently in service.
According to the terms of this tender, published on February 13, the new boats will be 22 meters in length and must be capable of reaching a minimum speed of 22 knots in sea state 4 conditions. They must be able to perform Category 3 crossings as per merchant marine regulations. Furthermore, they will be “crewed by a maximum of seven personnel” and equipped with a stabilized long-range optronic system capable of operating during the day, at night, and at twilight.