On Thursday, November 27, 2025, the Directorate General of Armaments (Direction générale de l’Armement, DGA) under the Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans delivered to the French Navy (Marine Nationale) the FS Jacques Stosskopf (A 726), the second of four new-generation replenishment ships ordered under the BRF (Bâtiments Ravitailleurs de Forces) program, formerly known as FlotLog (Flotte Logistique).
Photos: Marine Nationale
The ship was assembled at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, with Naval Group serving as the main contractor. The first steel cutting took place in February 2022, and the keel was laid on December 6, 2022, when the stern section, built in Italy by Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani, arrived. The forward section was launched in France on July 18, 2023. Final assembly in Saint-Nazaire then began, lasting five months following its docking in March 2024. The ship was launched on August 19 of the same year and handed over to the DGA on September 13 for acceptance sea trials, which began in the spring.
Jacques Stosskopf will join the first ship of the class, FS Jacques Chevallier (A 725), delivered on July 18, 2023. The third ship will be Émile Bertin (A 727), whose stern and bow keels were laid on November 21 and December 5, 2023, respectively. The final vessel, Gustave Zédé (A 728), has not yet begun construction. Deliveries are scheduled for 2028 and 2033, respectively. These are currently the largest French naval vessels after the aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R91).
The DGA placed a 1.7-billion-EUR order (7.26 billion PLN at the then-average exchange rate) for four new-generation replenishment ships in early February 2019. The design is based on the Italian Vulcano-class USL (Unità di supporto logistico), of which Rome has so far ordered two, with an option for two more: Vulcano (A 5335) entered service on March 12, 2021, and Atlante (A 5336) has been undergoing trials since May 20 of this year.
However, the French ships were planned to be larger: 194 meters in length and 31,000 tons in displacement (compared to Italy’s 193 meters and 27,000 tons). The BRF vessels also have a beam of 27.4 meters and a draft of 9 meters. Their standard displacement is 16,000 tons, and full-load displacement up to 31,000 tons. They are capable of transporting 13,000 cubic meters of ship fuel, aviation fuel, weapons, ammunition, spare parts, as well as drinking water and food.
FS Jacques Chevallier (A 725) and Jacques Stosskopf (A 726) during the tests of the latter
The crews of the French vessels are to number 130 personnel (with capacity for an additional 60 passengers). The propulsion system consists of diesel and electric engines with a combined output of 24 MW, providing a top speed of up to 20 knots. The ships’ armament includes, among other systems, Nexter/Thales RapidFire T40AA 40 mm naval guns, selected in February 2020. In addition, integration of medium-caliber artillery and light surface-to-air missiles (e.g., MBDA Simbad-RC with Mistral 3 missiles) is planned, reflecting a shift in the self-defense doctrine for these vessels. This change stems from an evolving threat environment involving a rapid increase in the number of anti-ship missiles on naval platforms and asymmetric threats such as maritime piracy, suicide attacks using boats, and drone strikes. The armament is integrated with the Polaris fire-control system.
The BRF vessels will gradually replace the last of the five Durance-class replenishment ships still in service, FS Somme (A 631). Marne (A 630) was decommissioned in October 2023, Var (A 608) on July 1, 2021, and Meuse (A 607) in December 2015. Earlier, in July 1999, Durance (A 629) was sold to Argentina, where it entered service as ARA Patagonia (B-1). The Durance-class ships were delivered to the Marine Nationale between 1983 and 1990.
#BRF | Le bâtiment ravitailleur de forces Jacques Stosskopf a été livré à la Marine ! Prochaine étape, début 2026 avec son déploiement longue durée qui permettra de poursuivre sa montée en puissance et de tester ses capacités avant son admission au service actif. pic.twitter.com/zavLljkPcz
— Marine nationale (@MarineNationale) November 27, 2025
Aujourd’hui, le Jacques Stosskopf, 2e bâtiment ravitailleur de forces (BRF) du programme Flotte logistique (FLOTLOG), a été réceptionné par l’OCCAr et la @DGA pour être livré à la @MarineNationale. pic.twitter.com/SC13fB5ng3
— Naval Group (@navalgroup) November 27, 2025
[#Livraison ✅️] BRF Jacques Stosskopf
La DGA a livré le 2e bâtiment ravitailleur de forces #BRF Jacques Stosskopf de @navalgroup à la @MarineNationale
Il est le 2e des nouveaux bâtiments de soutien de la Marine nationale sur une série de 4 navires ⤵️#NotreDéfense pic.twitter.com/3g9aeOp1ht
— Direction générale de l'armement 🇫🇷 (@DGA) November 27, 2025
La livraison du BRF Jacques Stosskopf constitue une étape importante dans le renouvellement de nos capacités de soutien à la mer. Deuxième unité d’une série de quatre, il renforce la mobilité stratégique de la Marine. C’est le symbole d’une double exigence : durer et combattre. pic.twitter.com/gCodeCsMVt
— Chef d'état-major de la Marine (@CEMM_FR) November 28, 2025
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