On 12 March 2026, the force replenishment ship (BRF) Jacques Chevallier, deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean as part of the Naval Strike Group (GAN), carried out nine replenishment operations at sea (RAM) in a single day. It surpasses its previous record of seven replenishments at sea set during the last deployment of the carrier strike group.
The BRF Jacques Chevallier first built a RAM with the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, together with a French FREMM, then the Dutch frigate Evertsen. This particularly complex maneuver, called “triple RAM”, requires three refueling stations to be deployed simultaneously! Two stations were thus activated on the port side, for the aircraft carrier: a station dedicated to the transfer of jet fuel and a station dedicated to “heavy loads” (food, spare parts); while on the starboard side, a berth was used to deliver diesel to the frigates. Finally, the BRF’s Dauphin helicopter completes this logistics chain by transporting light equipment and personnel to the entire Task Force.
The day continued with a series of refueling operations involving several ships of Allied navies integrated into the carrier strike group: the Spanish frigate Cristóbal Colón, the Italian FREMM Martinengo, but also French frigates.
This fine series confirms the BRF’s ability to provide logistical support to a naval force at sea in a high-intensity context, by implementing complex know-how mastered by few navies, such as the triple RAM. It also shows the high level of interoperability of French naval forces with their European allies. This operation thus strengthens France’s credibility as a major security player in the Eastern Mediterranean, alongside its NATO and European Union allies.