A ceremony took place to transfer the FREMM Tahya Misr to the Egyptian flag, a major step for the continuation of the crew training and seal trials. The ceremony took place in presence of General Sedki Sobhy, the Minister of Defense of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Minister of Defense, Admiral Osama Rabie, Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Navy, Admiral Bernard Rogel, the French Chief of Navy and Hervé Guillou, Chairman & CEO of DCNS. This important event marked the transfer of ownership of the FREMM from DCNS to the Egyptian Navy.

As part of the renewal of the surface-ship fleet of the country, DCNS has sealed strategic relations with Egypt. The sale of the FREMM Tahya Misr in February 2015 and the four GOWIND® 2500 corvettes in July 2014 bears witness to the confidence placed in the Group.

In the specific case of the FREMM, thanks to the tireless support of the highest French authorities, DCNS was able to supply a global offer meeting the needs of the Egyptian Navy and to respect the very short deadlines for adapting the frigate.

“A year ago, DCNS wrote the first lines of a strategic partnership bringing together the Group and the Egyptian Navy. Today, this privileged tie has taken on a new dimension. This event constitutes an important step in the crew taking on the FREMM”, stated Hervé Guillou, Chairman & CEO of DCNS.

“The supply of this latest-generation frigate comes on top of the contract for four GOWIND® 2500 corvettes signed in 2014. We are very proud to supply the Egyptian Navy with high-tech ships which will contribute towards the renewal of their surface-ship fleet” he added.

Since the signature of the contract on 16 February of this year with the Ministry of Defense of the Arab Republic of Egypt, for the supply of a FREMM multi-mission frigate, DCNS has carried out the adaptation and outfitting work required for the Egyptian Navy to take on the ship.

Furthermore, from March 2015, DCNS has been training the Egyptian crew. In order to operate such a highly-automated ship safely, DCNS and its partners accompany the crew for a period of 15 months. The program is composed of several phases: theoretical modules, on-land training using platforms and simulators and then onboard training both at the quayside and at sea.

The contract also includes support and through life support services for five years which will be carried out in Egypt by DCNS.

Currently, in the surface ship market, DCNS counts among its customers, the Royal Moroccan Navy with the delivery of the Mohammed VI FREMM and the Egyptian Navy with the delivery of the Tahya Misr FREMM and the order of four GOWIND corvettes. Moreover, DCNS is building six GOWIND corvettes for the Malaysian Navy.