LORIENT, France, April 18 (UPI) -- A second FREMM frigate built for Morocco by DCNS of France is beginning sea trials, the company reports.
The trials are to take place in phases starting with a short "familiarization" phase in which French navy personnel, Moroccan navy representatives and DCNS employees test the ship's safety systems and equipment, maneuverability and mooring performance.
"This milestone is the culmination of a remarkable team effort by DCNS, our partners and suppliers, the trials crew and customer representatives," said Anne Bianchi, director of FREMM frigate programs at DCNS.
The FREMM frigates are designed and built by DCNS to meet the needs of many navies around the world, as demonstrated by this first export sale to Morocco.
"They (the vessels) are among the most technologically advanced and competitively priced vessels on the world market and are inherently versatile to provide a response to all types of threats."
The heavily armed frigate is nearly 485 feet long, 65.6 feet in the beam, has a maximum speed of 27 knots and a range of 6,000 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots.
DCNS is building the ships for the French navy and Morocco.
The vessel undergoing sea trials is to be delivered to Morocco at the end of the year.
