Integrated for three weeks in the largest naval exercise in the world, the FREMM Bretagne completed its participation in the RIMPAC 2024 exercise on 23 July. The 2024 edition has no less than 29 participating nations and 25,000 military personnel engaged around Hawaii. France, a sovereign nation in the Pacific, has entered a first-rate frigate for the first time, alongside the 37 units assembled in the historic setting of the Pearl Harbor naval base.
During the dockside phase, the numerous briefings made it possible to set the framework for the exercise and to ensure interoperability between the units, through the numerous exchanges between the participating navies.
Brittany has started the sea phase of the Forward Integrated Training (FIT) as part of a Task Force of 17 cruisers, destroyers, frigates and patrol boats. This phase of serialized exercises allowed the different Task Groups to increase their power by carrying out their ranges in the different areas of wrestling and group navigation. Of increasing complexity, the exercises allowed the units to progress in tactical interoperability. RIMPAC provides an exceptional opportunity for naval combat training as part of a broad coalition. The capabilities of the FREMM in this environment were demonstrated during the more than twenty-three hours of underwater warfare exercise, seven anti-aircraft exercises and two days of synthesis exercise (War at Sea Exercise or WASEX).
Artillery was also deployed during firing exercises (GUNEX). A GUNEX in formation on a Killer Tomato floating target has made it possible to validate the fine coordination of three frigates from three different nations. In a second firing sequence, 19 ships took part in a day of shooting on land organized by the Pacific Shooting Center off Kaukai Island.
Holding out over time during this sequence of exercises required refuelling at sea. The many participating tankers kept the force going by providing the necessary fuel. Brittany was thus able to conduct three refuelling operations at sea (RAM) with German (liquid and then solid RAM) and New Zealand (liquid RAM) ships. Before Brittany’s participation ended with an exceptional PHOTEX bringing together 36 units, RDML Wosje, commander of Carrier strike group 1 (CSG-1) and commander of Task Force 170, to which Brittany is attached, went on board for a visit to the crew during which he underlined the importance of the French contribution with a first-rate resource.
In the coming days, Brittany will go to the Yokosuka naval base to carry out a crew change. At the same time, it will carry out relief logistics operations and the supplies necessary for the continued deployment of the FREMM in the region.
The world’s largest military maritime exercise, RIMPAC 24 demonstrated the interoperability of France, a Pacific resident nation, with partner players in the area.