Armoise, a former Maritime Affairs boat transformed into a coastal patrol boat, is heading to Cherbourg to compensate for the withdrawal of the patrol boats Athos and Aramis. Co-financed by the European Union, it reinforces security in the Channel-North Sea while waiting for the new patrol boats.
Since 2023, the Maritime Gendarmerie has had a new coastal patrol boat, the Armoise. This unit, 32 meters long, is none other than a former regional surveillance boat of Maritime Affairs, commissioned in 1995 by Naval Group, which has undergone an in-depth transformation to meet the military requirements of the Maritime Gendarmerie.
This transfer is part of a service continuity approach, aimed at filling the capacity gap caused by the gradual withdrawal of the former Athos and Aramis patrol boats, and pending the delivery of the future new-generation patrol boats.
The renovation and adaptation work, carried out in Lorient by Piriou Naval Service during the first half of 2022, has been substantial. In addition to the essential upgrade of the propulsion to ensure the durability of the ship, the Armoise has been equipped with new optronic means for night vision, as well as the necessary elements to integrate the armament of the maritime gendarmes.
These amendments aim to optimize its intervention capacities for maritime protection, fisheries policing and the fight against illegal trafficking. The transformation of the Armoise has been co-financed by the European Union, via a grant from the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (IGFV). The fund, with €206 million for the period 2021-2027, contributes directly to the objectives of the EU’s maritime security strategy by strengthening the means of surveillance of the external borders.
After leaving Lorient, the Armoise returned to its new base in Cherbourg at the beginning of March 2023. She joined Maroni launch, forming a robust interim force in the service of the Channel and North Sea Command. This pragmatic solution allows the Maritime Gendarmerie to maintain a high level of security and a constant presence in the strategic area of the Channel-North Sea coast, in the face of the challenges of migratory flows and maritime sovereignty.
As the commissioning of the Armoise is effective, a request for a balance on the amount of co-financing granted by the European Union is currently underway.