Since her arrival in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Norfolk, the force supply ship (BRF) Jacques Chevallier has conducted several replenishments at sea (RAM) with some of the largest American and British combat ships. A strong message of commitment and interoperability with our American and British allies. Several records, both in throughput and on-board quantities, have been exceeded thanks to the new capabilities of the BRFs.
On October 26, 2023, France maneuvered in the role of refueling ship for the first time since its construction, in collaboration with the USNS Arctic , a US Navy replenishment ship.More than 2,700 m3 of F44 and 2,000 m3 of F76 were taken on board. 4,700 m3 in total, at a cumulative flow of nearly 2,000m3/h, unheard of in French supply memory.On November 3, several exchanges with our partners in the US Navy and the Royal Navy took place. At dawn, three combat ships, and not the least (the British aircraft carrier Prince of Wales , the American aircraft carrier George Washington and the American destroyer Leyte Gulf ) joined the Jacques Chevallier at sea for an exercise. evolution in close training (EVOLEX). An impressive and unusual close escort… The afternoon was devoted to replenishing HMS Prince of Wales at sea . A great first, once again, a few nautical miles from the bay of the famous Chesapeake battle, celebrated just over a month ago by the crew on the occasion of its physical and mental evaluation of the fighter, in the middle of MECO.On November 4, a triple RAM was carried out where the BRF this time played the role of supply tanker to the US Navy:
- 200 m3 of F76 transmitted to the destroyer USS Leyte Gulf;
- 50 pallets and 1,200 m3 of F44 transmitted to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
Several challenges were met for the first French series: transfers from 3 stations, an already operational rhythm for the transfer of heavy loads and the use of the pumps at their maximum flow rate, for an F44 flow rate of 1,200 m3/h. Collaboration with the American Navy was strengthened by an exchange, called “Crossdeck”, between French and American sailors for an afternoon and a night. This was the occasion for the BRF’s first aviation maneuvers with a foreign helicopter. Between two refueling trips at sea, the Jacques Chevallier stopped at the largest American naval base: Norfolk. Many French and American personalities, as well as Allies, were received on board for a lunch, a reception or a visit. The Chesapeake Bay will remain an important stage of the ship’s long-term deployment (DLD) before its crossing to the Antilles for interactions with the armed forces in the Antilles.