On April 9, 2023, the surveillance frigate (FS) Vendémiaire left New Zealand where she spent three months in major technical shutdown (ATM). This relocated maintenance period was marked by a visit to the basin at the New Zealand Navy’s naval base in Devonport to carry out maintenance of the underwater hulls, in particular propellers and rudders.
The common thread of this technical stop: the complete repair of the chimneys with the replacement of the exhaust lines. Further down, in the propulsion compartment, two of the four propulsion engines underwent a complete overhaul after 24000,100 hours of operation. In terms of armament, the six-year visit of the <>mm turret was carried out for the first time by the Naval Logistics Service (SLM), in place of the industrial Naval Group, with the support of the Noumea naval base. Sailors of MEARM (weapons mechanic) and ELARM (weapons electronics engineer) specialists came from Toulon and Noumea for this visit.
Finally, in other areas, a major renovation work was carried out throughout the technical shutdown, ranging from the total refurbishment of the helicopter platform to the control of the electrical panels and the modernization of the radio transmitters.
Before leaving the country, a Maori ceremony was held in honor of the sailors of the Vendémiaire in the presence of the Chief of Staff of the New Zealand Navy. After successful sea trials, the board headed for Noumea before soon being deployed for CROIX DU SUD 2023, a major biennial international exercise in New Caledonia.