The French Navy (French: Marine nationale, lit. 'National Navy'), informally La Royale, is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in the world recognised as being a blue-water navy.[4][5][6] The French Navy is capable of operating globally and conducting expeditionary missions, maintaining a significant overseas presence. The French Navy is one of eight naval forces currently operating fixed-wing aircraft carriers,[Note 1] with its flagship Charles de Gaulle being the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside the United States Navy, and one of two non-American vessels to use catapults to launch aircraft.[7][8]
Founded in the 17th century, the French Navy is one of the oldest navies still in continuous service, with precursors dating back to the Middle Ages. It has taken part in key events in French history, including the Napoleonic Wars and both world wars, and played a critical role in establishing and securing the French colonial empire for over 400 years. The French Navy pioneered several innovations in naval technology, including the first steam-powered ship of the line, first seagoing ironclad warship, first mechanically propelled submarine, first steel-hulled warship, and first armoured cruiser.
La Armada francesa consta de seis componentes principales: la Fuerza de Acción Naval , las Fuerzas Submarinas ( FOST y ESNA ), la Aviación Naval Francesa , los Fusileros de la Armada (incluidos los Comandos Navales ), el Batallón de Bomberos Naval de Marsella y la Gendarmería Marítima . En 2021, la Armada francesa empleaba a 44.000 personas (37.000 militares y 7.000 civiles), más de 180 barcos, 200 aviones y seis unidades de comando; [9] en 2014, su elemento de reserva ascendía aproximadamente a 48.000. [10]
Opera una amplia gama de buques de combate, incluidas varias fuerzas aeronavales, submarinos de ataque y misiles balísticos , fragatas , lanchas patrulleras y buques de apoyo, siendo el portaaviones Charles de Gaulle la pieza central de la mayoría de las fuerzas expedicionarias.
La historia del poder naval francés se remonta a la Edad Media , y tuvo tres loci de evolución:
La primera verdadera Armada Real francesa ( en francés : la Marine Royale ) fue establecida en 1624 por el cardenal Richelieu , primer ministro del rey Luis XIII . Durante la Revolución Francesa , la Marine Royale pasó a llamarse formalmente la Marine Nationale . Bajo el Primer Imperio Francés y el Segundo Imperio Francés , la marina fue designada como Armada Imperial Francesa ( la Marine impériale française ). Institucionalmente, sin embargo, la marina nunca ha perdido su corto y familiar apodo, la Royale .
El símbolo original de la Armada francesa era un ancla dorada , que, a partir de 1830, estaba entrelazada por una cuerda de navegación ; Este símbolo apareció en todos los buques, armas y uniformes de la marina. [11] Aunque los símbolos de ancla todavía se utilizan en los uniformes, en 1990 se introdujo un nuevo logotipo naval bajo el mando del Jefe de Estado Mayor Naval Bernard Louzeau, que presenta un diseño moderno que incorpora el tricolor , flanqueando la sección de proa de un buque de guerra blanco con dos rojos ascendentes. y espumas en aerosol azules, y la inscripción " Marine nationale ".
El cardenal Richelieu supervisó personalmente la Armada hasta su muerte en 1643. [12] Fue sucedido por su protegido, Jean Baptiste Colbert , quien introdujo el primer código de regulaciones de la Armada francesa y estableció los astilleros navales originales en Brest y Toulon . [12] Colbert y su hijo, el marqués de Seignelay , administraron entre ellos la Armada durante veintinueve años. [12]
Durante este siglo, la Armada se curtió en la Guerra Anglo-Francesa (1627-1629) , la Guerra Franco-Española (1635-1659) , la Segunda Guerra Anglo-Holandesa , la Guerra Franco-Holandesa y la Guerra de los Nueve Años. Guerra . Las batallas más importantes de estos años incluyen la batalla de Augusta , la batalla de Beachy Head , las batallas de Barfleur y La Hougue , la batalla de Lagos y la batalla de Texel .
The 1700s opened with the War of the Spanish Succession, over a decade long, followed by the War of the Austrian Succession in the 1740s. Principal engagements of these wars include the Battle of Vigo Bay and two separate Battles of Cape Finisterre in 1747. The most grueling conflict for the Navy, however, was the Seven Years' War, in which it was virtually destroyed.[12] Significant actions include the Battle of Cap-Français, the Battle of Quiberon Bay, and another Battle of Cape Finisterre.
The Navy regrouped and rebuilt, and within 15 years it was eager to join the fray when France intervened in the American Revolutionary War.[12] Though outnumbered everywhere, the French fleets held the British at bay for years until victory.[12] After this conflict and the concomitant Anglo-French War (1778–1783), the Navy emerged at a new height in its history.[12] Major battles in these years include the Battle of the Chesapeake, the Battle of Cape Henry, the Battle of Grenada, the invasion of Dominica, and three separate Battles of Ushant.
Within less than a decade, however, the Navy was decimated by the French Revolution when large numbers of veteran officers were dismissed or executed for their noble lineage.[12] Nonetheless, the Navy fought vigorously through the French Revolutionary Wars as well as the Quasi-War. Significant actions include a fourth Battle of Ushant (known in English as the Glorious First of June), the Battle of Groix, the Atlantic campaign of May 1794, the French expedition to Ireland, the Battle of Tory Island, and the Battle of the Nile.
Other engagements of the Revolutionary Wars ensued in the early 1800s, including the Battle of the Malta Convoy and the Algeciras Campaign. The Quasi-War wound down with single-ship actions including USS Constellation vs La Vengeance and USS Enterprise vs Flambeau.
When Napoleon was crowned Emperor in 1804, he attempted to restore the Navy to a position that would enable his plan for an invasion of England.[12] His dreams were dashed by the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where the British all but annihilated a combined Franco-Spanish fleet, a disaster that guaranteed British naval superiority throughout the Napoleonic Wars. Still, the Navy did not shrink from action: among the engagements of this time were the Battle of the Basque Roads, the Battle of Grand Port, the Mauritius campaign of 1809–11, and the Battle of Lissa.
After Napoleon's fall in 1815, the long era of Anglo-French rivalry on the seas began to close, and the Navy became more of an instrument for expanding the French colonial empire.[12] Under King Charles X, the two nations' fleets fought side by side in the Battle of Navarino, and throughout the rest of the century they generally behaved in a manner that paved the way for the Entente Cordiale.[12]
Charles X sent a large fleet to execute the invasion of Algiers in 1830. The next year, his successor, Louis Philippe I, made a show of force against Portugal at the Battle of the Tagus, and in 1838 conducted another display of gunboat diplomacy, this time in Mexico at the Battle of Veracruz. Beginning in 1845, a five-year Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata was imposed on Argentina over trade rights.
The Emperor Napoleon III was determined to follow an even stronger foreign policy than his predecessors, and the Navy was involved in a multitude of actions around the world. He joined in the Crimean War in 1854; major actions for the Navy include the siege of Petropavlovsk and the Battle of Kinburn. The Navy was heavily involved in the Cochinchina Campaign in 1858, the Second Opium War in China, and the French intervention in Mexico. It took part in the French expedition to Korea and the Shimonoseki campaign. In the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the Navy imposed an effective blockade of Germany, but events on land proceeded at such a rapid pace that it was superfluous. Isolated engagements between French and German ships took place in other theaters, but the war was over in a matter of weeks.[13][14]
The Navy continued to protect colonial safety and expansion under the French Third Republic. The Sino-French War saw considerable naval action including the Battle of Fuzhou, the Battle of Shipu, and the Pescadores Campaign. In Vietnam, the Navy helped wage the Tonkin Campaign which included the Battle of Thuận An, and it later participated in the Franco-Siamese conflict of 1893.
The 19th century French Navy brought forth numerous new technologies. It led the development of naval artillery with its invention of the highly effective Paixhans gun. In 1850, Napoléon became the first steam-powered ship of the line in history, and Gloire became the first seagoing ironclad warship nine years later. In 1863, the Navy launched Plongeur, the first submarine in the world to be propelled by mechanical power. In 1876, Redoutable became the first steel-hulled warship ever. In 1887, Dupuy de Lôme became the world's first armoured cruiser.
During the latter part of the century, French officers developed the so-called Jeune École (Young School) theory that emphasized the use of small, cheap torpedo boats to destroy expensive battleships, coupled with long-range commerce raiders to attack an opponent's merchant fleet.
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The first seaplane, the French Fabre Hydravion, was flown in 1910, and the first seaplane carrier, Foudre, was christened in the following year.[15] Despite that innovation, the general development of the French Navy slowed down in the beginning of the 20th century as the naval arms race between Germany and Great Britain grew in intensity.
Entró en la Primera Guerra Mundial con relativamente pocos buques modernos, y durante la guerra se construyeron pocos buques de guerra porque el principal esfuerzo francés se realizó en tierra. Mientras los británicos mantenían el control del Mar del Norte, los franceses controlaban el Mediterráneo, donde principalmente vigilaban a la Armada austrohúngara . [12] Las mayores operaciones de la Armada se llevaron a cabo durante la Campaña de los Dardanelos . [12] En diciembre de 1916, durante los acontecimientos de Noemvriana , buques de guerra franceses también bombardearon Atenas, tratando de obligar al gobierno proalemán de Grecia a cambiar sus políticas. [16] La Armada francesa también jugó un papel importante en la lucha contra la campaña de submarinos alemanes patrullando regularmente los mares y escoltando convoyes. [12]
Entre las guerras mundiales, la Armada se modernizó y expandió significativamente, incluso frente a las limitaciones impuestas por el Tratado Naval de Washington de 1922 . [12] Las nuevas incorporaciones incluyeron los pesados y rápidos "superdestructores " clase Fantasque , los acorazados clase Richelieu y el submarino Surcouf , que era el más grande y poderoso de su época.
Desde el inicio de la Segunda Guerra Mundial , la Armada estuvo involucrada en una serie de operaciones, participando en la Batalla del Atlántico , la Campaña de Noruega , la evacuación de Dunkerque y, brevemente, la Batalla del Mediterráneo . Sin embargo, después de la caída de Francia en junio de 1940, la Armada se vio obligada a permanecer neutral según los términos del armisticio que creó el estado truncado de la Francia de Vichy . En todo el mundo, unos 100 buques de guerra y sus tripulaciones atendieron el llamado del general Charles de Gaulle de unir fuerzas con los británicos, pero la mayor parte de la flota, incluidos todos sus buques capitales, transfirió su lealtad a la Armada francesa de Vichy (Marine de Vichy). Preocupados de que la Armada alemana pudiera hacerse con el control de los barcos, los británicos lanzaron un ataque contra Mers-el-Kébir , la ciudad argelina donde muchos de ellos estaban albergados. El incidente envenenó las relaciones anglo-francesas, lo que provocó represalias en Vichy y una batalla naval a gran escala en Casablanca en 1942, cuando los aliados invadieron el norte de África francés . Pero los enfrentamientos quedaron a un lado una vez que los alemanes ocuparon la Francia de Vichy . Los buques capitales eran el objetivo principal de la ocupación, pero antes de que pudieran ser capturados fueron hundidos por sus propias tripulaciones . Unos pocos barcos pequeños y submarinos lograron escapar a tiempo y se unieron a las Fuerzas Navales Francesas Libres de De Gaulle , un brazo de la Francia Libre que luchó como complemento de la Marina Real hasta el final de la guerra. También en el teatro del Pacífico operaron buques de la Francia Libre hasta la capitulación japonesa; Richelieu estuvo presente en el Acta de Rendición de Japón .
Posteriormente, la Armada proporcionó apoyo de fuego y transporte de tropas en la Guerra de Indochina , la Guerra de Argelia , la Guerra del Golfo y la Guerra de Kosovo .
Desde 2000, la Armada ha brindado apoyo logístico a la Guerra en Afganistán (2001-2021), así como a la Guerra global contra el terrorismo . En 2011, ayudó a la Operación Harmattan en Libia.
The chief of the naval staff is Vice-admiral d’escadre Arnaud de Tarlé,[17] and as of 2014 the Navy has an active strength of 36,776 military personnel and 2,909 civilian staff.[18] The Navy is organised into four main operational branches:
In addition, the National Gendarmerie of France maintain a maritime force of patrol boats that falls under the operational command of the French Navy:
During most of the Cold War, the Navy was organised in two squadrons based in Brest and Toulon, commanded by ALESCLANT (Amiral commandant l'escadre de l'Atlantique) and ALESCMED (Amiral commandant l'escadre de la Méditerranée) respectively. Since the post-Cold War restructuring process named Optimar '95, the two components have been divided into the Naval Action Force (commanded by ALFAN) and the Antisubmarine Group (commanded by ALGASM).[19]
As of 2014, the largest French naval base is the military port of Toulon. Other major bases in metropolitan France are the Brest Arsenal and Île Longue on the Atlantic, and Cherbourg Naval Base on the English Channel. Overseas French bases include Fort de France and Degrad des Cannes in the Americas; Port des Galets and Dzaoudzi in the Indian Ocean; and Nouméa and Papeete in the Pacific. In addition, the navy shares or leases bases in foreign locales such as Abu Dhabi, Dakar and Djibouti.
_underway_in_the_Mediterranean_Sea_on_15_July_2017.JPG/1280px-French_destroyer_Chevalier_Paul_(D621)_underway_in_the_Mediterranean_Sea_on_15_July_2017.JPG)
Although French naval doctrine calls for two aircraft carriers, the French only have one, Charles de Gaulle. Originally a planned order for French aircraft carrier PA2 was based on the design of the British Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier recently constructed and launched for the British Royal Navy. However, the French programme had been delayed several times for budgetary reasons and the result was priority being given to the more exportable FREMM project. In April 2013 it was confirmed that the second aircraft carrier project would be abandoned due to defence cuts announced in the 2013 French White Paper on Defence and National Security.
The French Navy operates three amphibious assault ships, ten air defence and anti-submarine frigates, five general purpose frigates and has a commitment to six fleet submarines (SSNs). These vessels, with the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, constitute the French Navy's main ocean-going war-fighting force, while the four ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) of the navy's Strategic Oceanic Force provide the backbone of the French nuclear deterrent.
In addition the French Navy operates six light surveillance frigates and, as of 2024, five avisos (originally light corvettes now reclassified as patrol vessels). They undertake the navy's offshore patrol duties, the protection of French naval bases and territorial waters, and can also provide low-end escort capabilities to any oceangoing task force. The Navy also operates a fleet of offshore and coastal patrol vessels, mine countermeasures vessels as well as auxiliaries and support ships.
The French Naval Aviation is officially known as the Aéronautique navale and was created on the 19 June 1998 with the merging of Naval patrol aircraft and aircraft carrier squadrons. It has a strength of around 6,800 civilian and military personnel operating from four airbases in Metropolitan France. The Aéronavale has been modernized with 40 Rafale fighters which operate from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
Seamen must be at least 17 but no more than 30 years old, with no minimum level of schooling.
Petty officers must be at least 17 but no more than 30 years old, with at least a high school diploma giving access to university studies.
Petty Officer Candidate begin training with five months at the Petty Officer School of Maistrance at Brest.
Contract officers serve on an initial eight-year contract, renewable up to 20 years.
Las insignias de rango de la Armada francesa se usan en los tirantes de las camisas y chaquetas blancas, y en las mangas de las chaquetas y repisas azul marino. Hasta 2005, sólo los oficiales tenían un ancla en su insignia, pero ahora el personal alistado también la recibe. Los oficiales al mando tienen títulos de capitaine , pero se les llama comandante (en el ejército, tanto capitaine como comandante son rangos, lo que tiende a generar cierta confusión entre el público). Los dos rangos más altos, vice-amiral d'escadre y amiral ( almirante ), son funciones, más que rangos. Son asumidos por oficiales con rango de viceamiral ( vicealmirante ). El único amiral de la flotte ( Almirante de la flota ) fue François Darlan después de que se le negó la dignidad de amiral de France ( Almirante de Francia ). Equivalente a la dignidad de mariscal de Francia , el rango de almirante de Francia sigue siendo teórico en la Quinta República ; se concedió por última vez en 1869, durante el Segundo Imperio , pero se mantuvo durante la Tercera República hasta la muerte de su portador en 1873. El título de amiral de la flotte se creó para que Darlan no tuviera un rango inferior al de su homólogo en el Marina Real Británica , que tenía el rango de Almirante de la Flota .
La insignia de rango de los oficiales comisionados .
La insignia de rango de suboficiales y personal alistado .
Unlike in the French Army and air and space force, one does not prepend mon to the name of the rank when addressing an officer (that is, not mon capitaine, but simply capitaine).[22]
The main military musical unit of the French Navy is the Military Band of the Toulon Fleet (French: La musique des équipages de la flotte de Toulon), founded on 13 July 1827.[23] The Bagad Lann Bihoue, based on the bagad bands in Bretagne, is currently the sole pipe band in the service of the French Navy, which uses bagpipes and bombards, and thus is affiliated to the band.
In Canada, French naval music has affected the traditions of Canadian navy bands. French navy bands in the country date back to the era of New France.[24] Musical units were primarily attached to the Compagnies Franches de la Marine and the Troupes de la marine, the former of which maintained two drums (tambour) and a fife.
Los problemas financieros de Francia han afectado a todas las ramas de su ejército. El Libro Blanco francés sobre Defensa y Seguridad Nacional de 2013 canceló el nuevo portaaviones planeado durante mucho tiempo y un posible cuarto buque de asalto anfibio de clase Mistral . [25] La columna vertebral de la flota serán las fragatas antisubmarinas FREMM clase Aquitania , que reemplazarán a la clase Georges Leygues , pero los planes para comprar posibles diecisiete FREMM se redujeron a once y luego a ocho. La cancelación del tercer y cuarto destructor Horizon significó que los dos últimos cascos FREMM, que entraron en servicio entre 2021 y 2023, estén equipados como barcos de defensa aérea FREDA para reemplazar a la clase Cassard . [26] DCNS ha mostrado un concepto FREMM-ER para cumplir con este requisito, enfatizando la defensa contra misiles balísticos con el radar Thales Sea Fire 500 AESA. [27] Consideraciones industriales significan que los fondos para las FREMM 9-11 se están gastando ahora en cinco Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention ( FDI , "fragatas de tamaño intermedio" ) exportables más a partir de 2024 para complementar y, en última instancia, reemplazar a La Fayette. clase, tres de los cuales se están actualizando con nuevos sonares para operar hasta principios de la década de 2030. [28] Con respecto a los barcos de apoyo, la clase Durance está siendo reemplazada en el marco del proyecto FLOTLOG por hasta cuatro derivados del barco de apoyo logístico de clase Vulcano de Italia , y tres se entregarán entre 2023 y 2027. [29] Un cuarto barco potencial es retrasado hasta después de 2030. [30]
Ha comenzado la construcción del primero de seis submarinos de ataque nuclear clase Barracuda ; La puesta en servicio de Suffren tuvo lugar en 2020. A estos submarinos de ataque nuclear les seguirá, en la década de 2030, la introducción gradual de una nueva clase de submarinos de misiles balísticos de propulsión nuclear (SSBN), cuya construcción comenzó en 2024.
El primer misil MM40 Exocet Block 3 se probó en 2010 para ser producido. Se están desarrollando versiones navales del misil de crucero de ataque terrestre SCALP EG , junto con un Aster Block 1NT planificado con mayores capacidades contra misiles balísticos.
In October 2018, the French Ministry of Defence launched an 18-month study for €40 million for the eventual future replacement of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle beyond 2030. A decision to build the new carrier was taken by President Emmanuel Macron in 2020[31] and once it enters service it is anticipated to remain in service until beyond 2080.[32][33] Construction of the new carrier is to begin in around 2025 with service entry anticipated in the latter 2030s.
...the United States and the United Kingdom have the world's two best world-spanning blue-water navies... with the French being the only other candidate... and China being the most likely competitor in the long term
