On 5 February, 2026, PIRIOU shipyard launched Trolley de Prévaux in Concarneau, Brittany. It is the first Patrouilleur Hauturier (PH)-class offshore patrol vessel built for the French Navy.
The ship is the first of seven OPVs ordered by the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), France’s defense procurement agency, in November 2023. Construction began in May 2024, and delivery to the Brest-based fleet is scheduled for April 2027.
The PH program involves a consortium of three French shipyards: PIRIOU, CMN (Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie), and SOCARENAM. Naval Group serves as design authority and provides the combat and management systems. Two additional vessels are already under construction—d’Estiennes d’Orves since February 2025 and Jeanne Bohec since June 2025—with launches expected in early and late 2027 respectively. The final vessel in this initial batch is scheduled for delivery in 2030.
At 92 meters in length and displacing approximately 2,400 tonnes, the new OPVs are considerably larger than previous-generation patrol vessels. They will reach speeds exceeding 21 knots and have an endurance of roughly 6,000 nautical miles or 30 days at sea. Each vessel can accommodate 84 personnel, including crew and passengers.
The ships are equipped with Thales’s NS54 4D AESA radar and BLUEWATCHER hull-mounted sonar—the latter included in response to underwater security concerns and protection requirements for France’s ballistic missile submarine operations. Armament consists of a RAPIDFire 40mm main gun, a SIMBAD RC short-range air defense system, and counter-drone systems.
The vessels are designed for a 35-year service life with a target availability of 300 days per year.
Most ships in the class will be named after individuals who distinguished themselves during World War II. One exception is a vessel that will bear the name of Île de Sein, a commune honored with the Order of the Liberation after all its men joined the Free French Forces.
France’s 2024-2030 military planning law anticipates an additional order of three vessels, bringing the total PH class to ten ships, with full fleet entry expected by 2035.
