DCNS wins €60m + contract for TLS services for French Navy’s La Fayette-class frigates

DCNS has been awarded a major contract to provide through-life support (TLS) services for the French Navy’s La Fayette-class frigates. The contract, worth over €60 million, calls for TLS services to be provided at Toulon naval base for five French Navy La Fayette frigates (Aconit, Courbet, Guépratte, La Fayette and Surcouf) over a period of five years (2011 to 2015). The contract will come into effect this spring when the Surcouf is laid up for a scheduled refit. “This TLS contract for La Fayette-class frigates highlights our prime customer’s confidence in DCNS,” says Thierry Kalanquin, SVP Services. “Through-life support for this class of warship calls for resources and expertise in areas where DCNS fully meets the Navy’s needs. We are indeed proud to contribute to the French fleet’s availability.” For the purposes of this contract, DCNS will assign dedicated resources and management to a dedicated area of the Toulon shipyard. The management team will be located on site alongside teams of engineers, buyers, assistants, mechanics, electricians, metalworkers, etc. for the duration of the contract. These teams will be supported by additional production staff and resources as and when required to meet refit workloads. A specific area of the shipyard, including the Castigneau drydocks, will be dedicated exclusively to this work with one vessel in drydock and another at a nearby wharf at any given time.