The Multi-Mission Frigate (FREMM) Provence docked in Toulon on November 11, after two months of deployment in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
Deployed initially in the Eastern Mediterranean (MEDOR) under the operational control of the Chief Command for Operations in the Mediterranean (CECMED), the Provence maneuvered in a particularly volatile and unstable geopolitical environment, providing a versatile, reactive and enduring capacity. It notably contributed to the national assessment of the situation in this theater, in different environments and fields.
The Provence then joined the EUNAVFOR ASPIDES operation. By accompanying around ten commercial ships on both sides of the Baab al-Mandeb Strait, in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the Provence has directly contributed to the maritime security of a strategic artery for France and the member countries of the European Union. This deployment, in a maritime area still threatened by the Houthis, demonstrates the responsiveness and flexibility of the National Navy units, as well as France’s attachment to respect for international law, in particular freedom of navigation.
