French Warships: Mistral-class amphibious assault ship Tonnerre

The Mistral-class amphibious assault ships – which are also sometimes referred to as being helicopter carriers – were built for the French Navy as replacements for the ageing Foudre-class and two Ouragan-class landing platform docks. They were designed in the late 1990s and built between 2003 and 2012.

The ships in service with the French Navy are Mistral (L9013), Tonnerre (L9014), and Dixmude (L9015), and they are all homebased in Toulon.

The ship’s characteristics are:

• Displacement: 21,300 tonnes (full load)
• Dimensions:
• Length: 653ft (199m)
• Beam: 105ft (32m)
• Draught: 21ft (6.3m)
• Propulsion: 4 x Wärtsilä diesels-alternators 16 V32 and 1 x Wärtsilä Vasaa auxiliary diesel-alternator 18V200 powering 2 x Mermaïd electric motors driving 2 shafts
• Speed: 18.8 knots
• Range: 6,700 nautical miles at 18 knots
• Carrying Capacity: 2 landing barges, one battalion of Leclerc AFVs, and 70 vehicles
• Complement: 160 plus up to an additional 900 if required
• Armament: 2 x Simbad missile defense systems; 2 x NARWHAL 20mm automatic cannon; ; 2 x 7,62 mm M134 miniguns; 4 × 12.7mm M2-HB Browning machine guns

Two of class were ordered by the Russian Navy in December 2011 (they were to be named Vladivostok and Sevastopol), but after political pressure from France's NATO allies (particularly the US and the Baltic states) and the outbreak of hostilities in the Ukraine, the sale did not proceed, and the money already paid by the Russians was refunded. The two completed ships were sold to the Egyptian navy, where the now serve as Gamal Abdel Nasser (L1020) and Anwar El Sadat (L1020).