The third French Logistic Support Ship (LSS, known in French as BRF), Émile Bertin, was officially launched today at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, marking a major milestone in the Franco‑Italian Logistic Support Ship (LSS) Programme managed by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation).
OCCAR press release
The launch ceremony was hosted by Laurent Castaing, Chief Executive Officer of Chantiers de l’Atlantique de l’Atlantique, together with Vincent Martinot‑Lagarde, Director for Surface Ships at NAVAL GROUP. The event gathered representatives from French authorities, international partners and industry, including Philippe de Wispelaere, Sub‑Prefect of Saint‑Nazaire; General Stéphane Kammerer, Deputy Director for Operations, Maintenance and Digital at the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA – Direction générale de l’armement); Admiral Rémi Thomas, Deputy Head of Plans and Programmes at the French Naval Headquarters; Colonel Kengo Kobayashi, Defence Attaché of Japan in France; and Darren Ash, Head of Programmes at OCCAR‑EA.
Managed by OCCAR on behalf of France and Italy, the LSS Programme aims to deliver six logistic support ships—four for the French Navy Marine Nationale and two for the Italian Navy Marina Militare Italiana—together with associated In‑Service Support (ISS). An option is also included for a third ship for the Italian Navy. Émile Bertin is the fifth ship of the LSS Programme overall and the third vessel for France, following the Italian ships Vulcano and Atlante and the French ships Jacques Chevallier and Jacques Stosskopf, all of which have already been delivered.
Speaking at the ceremony, OCCAR‑EA Head of Programmes Darren Ash highlighted the Programme’s steady progress and expressed confidence in industry’s continued performance during the remaining phases of outfitting, system integration and testing. Following these activities, Émile Bertin is scheduled to depart Saint‑Nazaire for Brest in 2027.
OCCAR is expected to take delivery of the ship in mid‑summer 2027, further enhancing the logistical capabilities of the French Navy and contributing to improved interoperability within European naval operations.
The ship is named in honour of Émile Bertin (1840–1924), a prominent French naval engineer whose groundbreaking work had a lasting impact on modern warship design. Notably, he was instrumental in establishing the Paris hydrodynamic test tank in 1906 and contributed significantly to naval research and innovation. Bertin also played a key role in supporting Japan during the Meiji era in the development of a modern and effective navy, while simultaneously leading French naval shipbuilding for more than a decade.
