Name Durance Completed 6 Type Replenishment oiler | Built 1973-1990 Active 6 | |
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Operators French Navy
Argentine Navy
Royal Australian Navy
Royal Saudi Navy | ||
The Durance class is a series of multi-product replenishment oilers, originally designed and built for service in the French Navy. Besides the five ships built for the French Navy, a sixth was built for the Royal Australian Navy, while the lead ship of the class currently serves with the Argentine Navy.
Contents
French Navy
Five ships of the class were built for the French Navy:
In French service, the ships are dubbed Bâtiment de commandement et ravitailleur (BCR, "command and replenishment ship"): in addition to their role as a fleet tanker, they can accommodate an entire general staff and thus supervise naval operations. Admiral Indian (Ocean), the French Navy's command for the Indian Ocean region ALINDIEN, was permanently stationed aboard such a ship until 2010.
Durance has been sold to the Argentine Navy; the remaining four vessels are still in service as of 2008. Three ships of the class (Marne, Somme, and Var) are fitted out as flagships and can embark an admiral and his staff. The 2013 French White Paper on Defence and National Security planned to replace them with four new double-hulled tankers between 2018 and 2021. However Meuse will be decommissioned under budget cuts announced in October 2014.
In October 2009, Somme repelled an attack by Somali pirates
Royal Australian Navy
A single ship of the class was built, in Australia, for the Royal Australian Navy:
Argentine Navy
The leading ship of the class was sold to the Argentine Navy in 1999; she serves under the name ARA Patagonia (B-1)