CNIM - in partnership with Socarenam, Mauric and CNN MCO - has been awarded the contract to replace the French Navy’s landing crafts. Fourteen new Standard Amphibious Landing Crafts (EDA-S) are to be built over a ten-year period.

This contract reasserts CNIM’s status as a key partner to the French Navy and a European leader in the area of amphibious operations, supplying the complementary innovative vessels: EDA-S and EDA-R (already in service in the French Navy, designed by CNIM).

“Winning this European tender reasserts CNIM's status as experts in amphibious craft design. CNIM is to replace the French Navy’s existing landing craft with fourteen new Standard Amphibious Landing Craft, also called EDA-S”, said Philippe Demigné, a CNIM Board Member.

These vessels will conduct amphibious operations from the well decks aboard Mistral-class amphibious assault ships (referred to “force projection and command ships”), carrying troops, military equipment or vehicles. They will be able to take part in logistics operations, depending on their location. They are also designed to evacuate citizens and recover air-dropped equipment during humanitarian missions.

Eight EDA-S crafts will be assigned to the amphibious flotilla (FLOPHIB) based in Toulon, replacing the existing equipment transport barges (CTM). The EDA-S and EDA-R landing crafts will be carried aboard BPC amphibious assault ships. Four EDA-R (Fast Amphibious Landing Craft, also designed by CNIM) have been in service with the French Navy since 2011.

The other six EDA-S will be deployed overseas, replacing various logistics barges based in Djibouti (2), Mayotte (1), Nouméa (1), Fort-de-France (1) and Kourou (1).

The EDA-S and EDA-R are complementary in terms of mission capabilities and speed; they have similar load capacities and are both able to conduct amphibious operations in very shallow water (<1m deep).

The EDA-S is designed to carry 65 tons in its nominal load configuration, and has a maximum load of 80 tons, equivalent to the nominal load of the EDA-R.

Aboard a force projection and command ship, the French Navy can sail with either four EDA-S or two EDA-S and an EDA-R, as required.