Anti-submarine warfare: the world champions are in Brest (and Toulon) – Brest

They haven’t yet received their award for excellence from the Americans (the Hook’Em Award) but it won’t be long. For the third consecutive year, the command of the US Navy places the detectors of French multi-mission frigates – based in Brest and Toulon – in the firmament of anti-submarine warfare. Very athletic, the Americans recognize that the Frenchy surpass them in terms of anti-submarine warfare. They’ve seen it in recent training. The French were able to detect more submarines than the Americans and the English under the most complicated conditions.

Americans buy French sonars

No wonder the Americans continue to equip themselves with French sonars (Thales) to get back up to speed. The means of the French on-board helicopter – the NH 90 (known as Caiman) – also impressed them. Hull sonar, towed sonar at sea, possible support from the Atlantique 2… French sailors, from the F70 frigates which were already benchmarks, remain the world experts in anti-submarine detection. “We clearly owe this expertise to the submarine component of deterrence that France has been able to maintain,” observes Admiral Lebas, commanding the Atlantic maritime zone.

Russian submarines and com’ of circumstance

By this distinction, through the sequence of communications maintained by the great military powers, Americans and French remind us that they know each other particularly well and that they train regularly. And the Americans remind us how much the Russian neighbor has better behave with European navies capable of outclassing their own expertise.

It does not eat bread at a time when the Russians have clearly intensified their presence in the Atlantic. “Even if they did not wait for the start of the war in Ukraine to gain momentum,” observes Captain Jean-Michel Pimbert, commander of crew B of the frigate Bretagne.

“We are witnessing a real demonstration of Russian power”, abounds Vice-Admiral Olivier Lebas. “With ships that evolve discreetly or on the contrary show themselves quite ostensibly… By avoiding any escalation, we have adapted our system and are also showing our determination”.

Occupy the land

Does this mean that French frigates are increasingly detecting Russian ships off our coasts? Neither the commander of the frigate Bretagne nor the four-star admiral commander of the Atlantic maritime zone obviously expands on the subject.

In addition to securing the carrier battle group and the deterrent force submarines, the multi-mission frigates are also capable of prospecting far from their base, as is currently the case with the Aquitaine frigate deployed in the Baltic Sea. Whitening the areas, detecting ever more ships upstream, upgrading the classification… French submarine hunters are more than ever on the ground, and they are making it known.