French air defence destroyer JEAN BART joins EU NAVFOR

Jul 23, 2010 - 09:45
The French air defence destroyer JEAN BART has joined the EU NAVFOR Task Force for the period 20th to 31st July.  She is the second of the air defence destroyer class Cassard, with a displacement of 4500 tonnes, a length of 139 meters and a beam of 14 meters.

Force Commander Jan Thörnqvist stated: "Since being commissioned on 21 September 1991, JEAN BART has been deployed on numerous occasions to the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans as well as the Horn of Africa, she is a most welcome contribution".

As well as her various weapon systems (100mm gun, SM1 and Mistral air defence missiles and Exocet anti-ship missiles) JEAN BART is fitted with one Panther (Eurocopter Dolphin class) helicopter and one Boarding Team.

The crew of 240 sailors with an average age of 27 is able to carry out various missions and tasks and remain at sea  for prolonged periods.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Programme (WFP) and vessels of  AMISOM (African Union peacekeeping force) and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to disrupt and deter piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

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