Metropolitan Support and Assistance Vessels "Loire" class

The Loire class, or Metropolitan Support and Assistance Vessels (BSAM), formerly known as Offshore Support and Assistance Vessels (BSAH), is a series of ships of the French Navy. These vessels, without artillery, are designed and built by Kership, a joint venture formed by Piriou and Naval Group.

- Length: 70.3 meters

- Width: 15.8 meters

- Draft: 5 meters

- Displacement: 2,960 tons fully loaded

- Crew: 17 members

- Towing capacity: 80 tons

- Equipped with a crane and capable of accommodating 12 additional personnel

- Autonomy at sea: 30 days

The construction of these vessels was ordered by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) from Kership. Four units were built in Brittany, at the Piriou shipyard in Concarneau and Kership shipyard in Lorient, to replace older support vessels.

The four vessels are:

1. Loire (A602) - Commissioned in July 2018, based in Toulon

2. Rhône (A603) - Commissioned in January 2019, based in Brest

3. Seine (A604) - Commissioned in July 2019, based in Toulon

4. Garonne (A605) - Commissioned in January 2020, based in Brest

Main missions:

- Force support and projection (towing, escorting aircraft carriers, amphibious assault groups, submarines)

- Protection of people and property (sea rescue, assistance to ships in distress, environmental protection)

- Regional support (towing equipment, work in military ports)

Notable deployments:

- The Rhône completed a circumpolar voyage in 2018, crossing Arctic seas and crossing the Bering Strait, demonstrating the BSAM's ability to operate in extreme conditions.

- The Seine accompanied the Émeraude nuclear attack submarine on a tour of the Indo-Pacific region in 2020, including exercises with the Australian, US, and Japanese navies.