France has officially placed an order with Naval Group for a fifth Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) frigate. The ship, designated FS Amiral Cabanier (D664), will be a 4,500-ton multi-mission warship featuring a digital backbone that enables ongoing upgrades without major structural changes, alongside built-in cyber resilience.
This procurement is part of France’s long-term defense spending plan under the military programming law (LPM). The fifth vessel was approved in March 2026, following the acquisition of the fourth frigate in December 2025.
All FDI frigates for the French Navy are being constructed at Naval Group’s shipyard in Lorient, which is also producing four units for Greece, marking the program’s first export success.
The FDI initiative, launched in 2017, is central to France’s efforts to modernize its naval forces. The first ship in the class, Amiral Ronarc’h, entered service in October 2025 after its launch in 2022 and subsequent sea trials starting in 2024.
Each frigate is 122 meters long with an 18-meter beam and is crewed by 125 personnel, with capacity to operate medium helicopters and drones. Built for multi-role operations, the ships are armed with Exocet MM40 Block 3C anti-ship missiles, 20 mm remote weapon systems, Aster surface-to-air missiles, MU90 anti-submarine torpedoes, and a 76 mm naval gun.
The class can achieve speeds of up to 27 knots and sustain operations at sea for 45 days, offering extended endurance compared to standard frigates.
