In a few hours, Argentina will receive a visit from the ships of the French National Navy that are part of the Jeanne d’Arc 2024 mission. These include the amphibious assault ship Tonnerre L9014 and the frigate Guépratte of the La Fayette class, units that began their journey on February 19th.
According to information provided by the French National Navy, the planned schedule for both ships includes a visit to the port of Buenos Aires and the city of Ushuaia. The Tonnerre and the Guépratte will arrive in Argentina after having conducted naval and amphibious exercises with the Brazilian Navy.
In the middle of this month, the French ships, along with elements of the marine infantry, operated alongside the multipurpose vessel NAM Atlántico, as well as other units from Brazil. The amphibious phase included the operation and disembarkation of armored vehicles, while the naval phase saw the interaction of both amphibious ships, along with the Guépratte frigate of the French National Navy and the Liberal frigate of the Brazilian Navy.
The ships executed Leap-Frog and Light-Line exercises, activities that involve practicing maneuvering between ships at sea in order to navigate in formation and at short distances. In addition, simulations of transfer maneuvers of supplies and personnel between ships at sea were carried out. “…operations require specialization, as they require ships to navigate very closely, which requires close monitoring by the maneuvering team throughout the action,” as detailed by the Brazilian Navy in its official statement.
It is worth noting that starting from March 24th, the amphibious helicopter carrier (PHA) Tonnerre provided support for evacuation flights that took place in Port-au-Prince after the serious incidents that struck the Haitian capital. The ship operated with H225M Caracal and AS 532 Cougar Renové helicopters, aircraft possibly belonging to the 4th Regiment of Special Operations Helicopters of the French Army’s Light Aviation (ALAT).
In addition to the mentioned ships, the Jeanne d’Arc 2024 mission includes 650 sailors, 162 cadets from the Naval Officers School (EAOM), 35 instructors, and 120 soldiers from the Army. The latter will form an Embarked Tactical Subgroup [S/GTE], which has about 40 combat vehicles for amphibious operations. There is also a detachment of two Gazelle helicopters belonging to the 1st Combat Helicopter Regiment.
The ground element consists of the Marine Tank Infantry Regiment [RICM], which includes two light cavalry platoons, a section of the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment, a section of the 6th Engineer Regiment, and an observation team from the 11th Marine Artillery Regiment, as reported by the French portal Opex360. Among the armored equipment, the new Griffon VBMR wheeled combat vehicles stand out.
The Jeanne d’Arc 2024 Mission not only reflects French interests in the region but also takes place within the framework of the training of future officers of the French National Navy. For this reason, the group’s activities have been oriented towards academic and operational activities, incorporating the added benefit of being able to operate with the Armed Forces of friendly nations.
Illustrative cover image. In the foreground, the PHA Tonnerre. In the background, the frigate Liberal of the Brazilian Navy. Credits: Brazilian Navy
You may also like: The amphibious helicopter carrier Tonnerre of the French Navy will visit Buenos Aires at the end of April
