BATRAL-class (Champlain)

Summary

Description

The BATRAL (Bâtiment de Transport Léger) is a class of small landing ships designed for the French Navy and commonly referred to as the Champlain class after the lead ship. Originating in the 1970s, these vessels have been utilized primarily for regional transport and patrol duties within French Overseas Departments and Territories. However, it was announced on January 9, 2014, that the two remaining BATRALs in French service were set to be replaced by three initially, with plans extended to four 1500-tonne Bâtiments Multimission (B2M) at an approximate cost of €100 million ($136 million).

The BATRAL design encompasses a capability to transport over 400 tons of material, facilitated through both a hangar and deck space, allowing for flexible loading and unloading operations either from a harbor or directly onto a beach. The ships are equipped with two flat-bottom vessels capable of each disembarking fifty personnel and light vehicles. The accommodations aboard the BATRALs are suitable for a Guépard-type intervention unit comprising five officers, fifteen petty officers, and 118 men, or alternatively, for a company-sized armored unit. Additionally, a helicopter landing deck enables the landing and transfer operations for light helicopters and interactions with heavy helicopters.

Chile, under license, constructed three BATRALs in its ASMAR shipyards during the early 1980s, demonstrating the operational interests in the design beyond the French Navy. Aside from French and Chilean service, the BATRAL-class landing ships have also been operated by the navies of Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, and Morocco, highlighting the international reach of this ship class.

The French Navy's original fleet of BATRAL vessels included Champlain, Francis Garnier, Dumont D'Urville, Jacques Cartier, and La Grandière. Over the years, these ships have been decommissioned, with the Dumont D'Urville leaving service most recently in July 2017 and La Grandière in 2016. The Chilean Navy's acquisition includes the Maipo (decommissioned in 1998), Rancagua (still in operation), and Chacabuco (still in operation). The Côte d'Ivoire Navy added L'Elephant to their fleet, with the Gabon Navy operating the President el Hadj Omar Bongo. Meanwhile, the Royal Moroccan Navy operates three BATRALs named Daoud Ben Aicha, Ahmed Es Skali, and Abou Abdallah El Ayachi.

Technical specifications