Concarneau, 30th october 2026. The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) has just awarded Chantiers Piriou a contract for the procurement of 16 new-generation tugboats (RP30NG), each with a towing capacity of 30 tonnes bollard pull.
Long 26 metres and with a full-load displacement of 370 tonnes, the RP30NGs have a bollard pullof 30 tonnes. Based on the civil tugboat range developed by Piriou, the RP30NGs have beenadapted to the specific requirements of military operations. They willsupport the French Navy’sharbouroperations, particularly the maneuvering of nuclear submarines and flagship vessels.
Designed to operate up to 200 nautical miles from the coast for up to several days, the RP30NGswill also carry out port support missions, such as fire-fighting and pollution control. They will alsobe able to contribute to maritime surveillance and stateoperations at sea, notably fisheries controland assistance missions.
Industrial expertise tailored to the needs of the French Navy
This programme draws on Piriou’s experience in the design and construction of workboats, aswell as on the expertise available within the group to support the various stages of the vessels’lifecycle. Building on previous programmes and identifying jointlydeveloped solutions in terms ofdesign, equipment and maintenance help to optimise the operation of the vessels andin-servicesupport
Vincent Faujour, President of Piriou, said: “We are very proud to receive this new order from the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), which demonstrates the continued confidence placed in Piriou and our expertise, and we thank them for this. Piriou is the last remaining French builder of tugboats with a bollard pull of over 30 tonnes. Following the delivery of four RP 30/RPC 30-type harbour and coastal tugs to the French Navy and the construction of several dozen harbour tugs with bollard pulls ranging from 30 to 75 tonnes for various commercial operators, this new order strengthens our position in the tugboat market, and we are delighted about this. It also demonstrates that our expertise in the design and construction of civilian vessels enables us to provide our Armed Forces with a fully sovereign range of vessels tailored to their specific operational requirements. With the offshore patrol vessel (PH) programme currently underway in Concarneau, this new programme for the DGA marks a significant recognition of our teams’ work and our commitment to serving the DGA and the French Navy.”
