BATRAL-class landing ship

The Bâtiment de Transport Léger (abbreviated BATRAL; "Light ferry ship") are small landing ships of the French Navy. Also known as Champlain class by the lead ship,[2] they have been used for regional transport and patrol needs in French Overseas Departments and Territories since the 1970s.[1] On 9 January 2014 it was announced that the two remaining Batrals in French service would be replaced in 2015/16 by three (subsequently four) 1500-tonne Bâtiments Multimission (B2M) at a cost of ~€100m (US$136m).[1]

BATRAL class
BATRAL Francis Garnier
Class overview
Builders
Succeeded byBâtiment Multimission (B2M)[1]
General characteristics
TypeLanding ship tank
Displacement770 t, 1,330 t fully loaded
Length80 m (262 ft 6 in)
Beam13 m (42 ft 8 in)
Draught3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Installed power
  • 2 × diesel SACM Wärtsilä UD 33 V12 M4
  • 3,600 hp (2,700 kW)
  • Electric power: 2 × DA 180 kW
Propulsion2 × 4-bladed propellers
Speed16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement
  • 3 officers
  • 15 petty officers
  • 26 quarter-masters
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × Decca 1226 navigation radar
  • Inmarsat system
Armament
  • 2 × 40 mm anti-air guns
  • 2 × 12.7 mm machine guns
Aviation facilitiesHelicopter landing deck

Design

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The BATRALs can ferry over 400 tons of matériel, in the hangar and on the deck. Loading and unloading can be done from a harbour or on a beach. Two flat-bottom vessels allow unloading fifty men and light vehicles each. The accommodations are designed for a Guépard-type intervention unit (five officers, fifteen petty officers and 118 men), or for typical company-sized armoured units. A helicopter landing deck allows landing for light helicopters, and transfer to and from heavy helicopters.

History

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The Chilean Navy purchased the plans and built three ships in the ASMAR shipyards in the early 1980s.

Ships

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French Navy
Chilean Navy
  • Maipo (LST-91) 1982–1998
  • Rancagua (LST-92) 1983–present
  • Chacabuco (LST-95) 1986–present
Côte d'Ivoire Navy
  • L'Elephant
Gabon Navy
  • President el Hadj Omar Bongo (L05)
Royal Moroccan Navy
  • Daoud Ben Aicha (402)
  • Ahmed Es Skali (403)
  • Abou Abdallah El Ayachi (404)

References

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  1. ^ a b c Pape, Alex (9 January 2014). "France orders three new multimission vessels". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly.
  2. ^ Champlain class
  3. ^ "Le Batral Jacques Cartier est rentré en France" [The landing ship Jacques Cartier returned to France]. Marine Nationale (in French). Ministère de la Défense. 15 July 2013.