_in_the_Arabian_Sea_in_March_2015.JPG) Meuse in the Arabian Sea, 2 March 2015
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Durance class |
| Operators | |
| Succeeded by | Jacques Chevallier class |
| Subclasses | Boraida class |
| Built | 1973–1990 |
| Completed | 8 |
| Active | 4 |
| Retired | 4 |
| General characteristics of French ships | |
| Type | Replenishment oiler |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 157.2 m (515 ft 9 in) |
| Beam | 21.2 m (69 ft 7 in) |
| Draught |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
| Range | 9,000 nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 162 |
| Sensors and processing systems | 2 × DRBN 34 radars |
| Armament |
|
| Aviation facilities | Medium helicopter pad |
The Durance class is a series of multi-product replenishment oilers, originally designed and built for service in the French Navy. Besides the five ships built for the French Navy, a sixth was built for the Royal Australian Navy, while the lead ship of the class currently serves with the Argentine Navy. Two ships of a similar but smaller design are in service with the Royal Saudi Navy as the Boraida-class replenishment oilers.
In French Navy service the ships were used with the Force d'action navale (FAN, "Naval Action Force"). The last three French ships were built to a modified design with increased space for command operations. The three ships are used as flagships for French naval forces in the Indian Ocean. In 2009, Somme repelled an attack by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The lead ship of the class (Durance) was transferred from France to Argentina in 1999/2000. In 2015, the second French ship was removed from service, followed by a third in 2021 and a fourth in 2023. In 2019, the Australian ship (HMAS Success) was also taken out of service.