Name Foch Ordered 1955 Commissioned 15 July 1963 Length 261 m Launched 23 July 1960 Beam 51 m | Namesake Ferdinand Foch Laid down 15 November 1957 Decommissioned 15 November 2000 Construction started 15 November 1957 Draft 8.6 m Builder Chantiers de l'Atlantique | |
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Foch ([fɔʃ]) was the second Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier of the French Navy. She was the second warship named in honour of Marshal of France, British Field Marshal and Marshal of Poland Ferdinand Foch. Serving with the French Navy from 1963 to 2000, the vessel was sold to Brazil and renamed São Paulo.
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Foch was laid down 15 November 1957, and was launched on 23 July 1960. The aircraft carrier was commissioned 15 July 1963 with the ship identification number R99.
Ironically Ferdinand Foch is famously quoted in 1911 saying, "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value" although this was only eight years after the first powered human flight.
Design
The Clemenceau-class aircraft carriers, of which Foch, now renamed and reflagged as São Paulo, is the last surviving member, are of conventional CATOBAR design. The landing area is 165.5 metres (543 ft) long by 29.5 metres (97 ft) wide; it is angled at 8 degrees off of the ship's axis. The flight deck is 265 metres (869 ft) long. The forward aircraft elevator is to starboard, and the rear elevator is positioned on the deck edge to save hangar space. The forward of two 52 metres (171 ft) catapults is at the bow to port, the aft catapult is on the forward area of angled landing deck. The hangar deck dimensions are 152 by 22–24 metres (499 by 72–79 ft) with 7 metres (23 ft) overhead.
History
The draft statute, prepared by the Naval General Staff in 1949, asked for four aircraft carriers of 20,000 tons to be available in two phases. At its meeting of 22 August 1949, the Supreme Council of the Navy was even more ambitious, where they proposed a six aircraft carrier fleet. On 15 July 1952, the French Navy still wanted two to five for the French Navy(not available to NATO). According to RCM 12, the final document of the Lisbon Conference of 1952, France should make available to NATO an aircraft carrier on D-day, two on day 30, three on day 180.
But from 1953, the Navy had to revise its ambitions downwards, with a target of three aircraft carriers.
The PA 54 Clemenceau, budgeted in 1953, was delayed until November 1955, the PA 55 Foch, budgeted for 1955, was delayed until February 1957. Between 1980 and 1981, she underwent a study to certify the platform before catapulting aircraft, carrying missiles, bombs, AM-39 Exocet and tactical nuclear bombs. Like her sister ship Clemenceau, Foch underwent a modernization and refit, replacing four of her eight 100-millimetre (3.9 in) guns with two Crotale air-defense systems. Unlike Clemenceau, Foch also received in 1997 two Sadral launchers (for 6 Mistral missiles each); those launchers were purchased by France in 1994.
The Dassault Rafale was test flown from Foch (but not Clemenceau) after deck modifications in 1992 and operated from this carrier after further 1995-6 deck modifications.
After a 37-year career in the French Navy, on 15 November 2000, she was sold to the Brazilian Navy, and renamed NAe São Paulo. In the French Navy, she was succeeded by Charles de Gaulle (R 91).
Combat history
In 1977 F-8 Crusaders from 14.F squadron from Foch participated in the Saphir missions over Djibouti. On 7 May 1977, two Crusaders went separately on patrol against what were supposedly French Air Force (4/11 Jura squadron) F-100 Super Sabres stationed at Djibouti. The leader intercepted two fighters and initiated a dogfight as part of the training exercise, but quickly called his wingman for help as he had actually engaged two Yemeni MiG-21 Fishbeds. The two French fighters switched their master armament to "on" but, ultimately, everyone returned to their bases. This was the only combat interception by French Crusaders.
In 1983–1984, the ship was sent to Lebanon for combat operations during the civil war with an air wing consisting of six F-8 Crusaders, fifteen Super-Étendards, three Étendard IVPs, five Br 1050 Alizés and six SA-321G Super-Frelons. She would rotate with Clemenceau providing constant on station air support to French peacekeepers. On 22 September 1983, French Navy Super Étendards operating from Foch bombed and destroyed Syrian forces positions after a few artillery rounds were fired at the French peace keepers. On November 10, a Super Étendard escaped from being hit by a Syrian SA-7 MANPADS near Bourj el-Barajneh while flying over Druze positions. On 17 November 1983, the same airplanes attacked and destroyed an Islamic Amal training camp in Baalbeck after a terrorist attack on French paratroopers in Beirut.
In October 1984, France sent Foch for Operation Mirmillon off the coast of Libya, in response to tension in the Gulf of Sidra.
She was involved in the Yugoslav Wars between July and August 1993, in February and March 1994, and in February and from May to July 1994 in support of UN operations. She also was part of NATO's Allied Force operations with Super Étendards flying strike missions over Serbia in 1999. She was forced to withdraw early four months into her deployment, the longest in her service history, due to problems with her catapult system and other issues.
In 2000, Foch made her last deployment by leading Task Force 473 on a four-month around-the-world tour.
In fiction
Foch is featured prominently in the 1995 film Crimson Tide as the setting for several television news reports about the ongoing conflict in Russia. Foch was used in this role after the U.S. Navy refused to assist in the film's production, thus removing the possibility of filming on board a U.S. carrier.
Foch also appears briefly in Tom Clancy's 1986 techno-thriller novel Red Storm Rising forming part of a NATO task force which also includes the aircraft carriers USS Nimitz and USS Saratoga. In an attack by Soviet Tu-22M bombers, Foch is hit by three anti-ship missiles and sunk.
Foch appears as a playable unit in the RTS game Wargame: Red Dragon in the 'Second Korean War' DLC.