The Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) confirmed on 18 January 2017 to KERSHIP, the production of the 4th Multi-missions vessel (B2M) which will be named the DUMONT D’URVILLE.
This order completes the one for three ships placed on 30 December 2013. In view of the ship’s capabilities, Defence Minister Jean-Yves le Drian decided in 2015, as part of the update to the military programming law, to order a fourth ship for the French West Indies.
The first B2M, the D’ENTRECASTEAUX, delivered on 25 March 2016, returned to its home port of Nouméa in New Caledonia on 29 July. The BOUGAINVILLE, the second multi-mission ship, delivered on 16 September 2016, has been stationed in Papeete in Polynesia since 16 December 2016. The third B2M, the CHAMPLAIN, which is due to be delivered in early 2017, is intended to operate from Réunion before the summer of 2017.
