French frigate Alsace

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Alsace is a French Navy frigate in the Aquitaine class, built for air defense. It is one of the two FREMM DA ships designed to protect fleets from air threats while keeping strong anti-submarine capabilities. Construction began in 2016, it was launched in April 2019 and entered service in April 2021. Its home port is Toulon.

Size and power
Alsace weighs over 6,000 tons, is about 142 meters long, 20 meters wide and 7.6 meters deep. It uses a CODLOG propulsion system with MTU engines, can reach 27 knots, and has a range of about 6,000 nautical miles at 15 knots. The ship’s crew is around 145 people. It carries one NH90 helicopter in a single hangar.

Sensors and weapons
The frigate has advanced radar and sensors, including the Héraklès multi-function radar and the STIR EO Mk 2 fire-control radar, plus towed and hull sonar for underwater detection. For defense and attack, it carries:
- 1x 76 mm gun
- 3x 20 mm Narwhal close-in weapons
- 32-cell Sylver A50 vertical launch system for Aster air missiles (Aster 15 and Aster 30)
- 8 Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles (Block 3c was tested on Alsace in 2023)
- 2x MU90 torpedo tubes
The ship is designed to balance air defense with anti-submarine warfare.

History and notable missions
Alsace was launched on 18 April 2019, began sea trials in October 2020, and was delivered to the French Navy in April 2021. It became fully operational in November 2021. In December 2021 it took part in Exercise Polaris 21 in the western Mediterranean. In 2022, Alsace deployed with the carrier Charles de Gaulle as part of Clemenceau 22, mainly handling air defense but also anti-submarine duties.

In October 2023, Alsace was sent to the Eastern Mediterranean during the Gaza conflict. In January 2024 it moved through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea for multinational defense duties amid Houthi attacks. On 21 March 2024, Alsace reportedly shot down three ballistic missiles using Aster missiles. In late 2024, Alsace was part of the Carrier Strike Group for Mission Clemenceau 25, operating with Charles de Gaulle. In January 2025, Alsace and the destroyer Forbin arrived at Kochi, India, with the rest of the carrier group docking in Goa; the group remained in the region until January 9.