On September 14, 2026, Admiral Christophe Cluzel, Chief of Staff of the French Navy, officially commissioned the overseas patrol vessel (POM) Jean Tranape . This commissioning followed a long deployment that allowed the crew to finalize their familiarization with the vessel and complete a large part of the Military Characteristics Verification (VCM) before its delivery by the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) on July 10 in Nouméa (98), New Caledonia.
After being fitted out in Saint-Malo (35) and undergoing several months of sea trials off the coast of Brittany, the POM Auguste Techer left mainland France in early April to reach its home port. Its long transit allowed for testing the vessel’s seaworthiness, endurance, and capabilities in harsh weather conditions, both in the North Atlantic and the Pacific. Taking advantage of its time in French Polynesia, it was accompanied by the second-in-class POM, the Teriieroo a Teriierooiterai , during the joint and combined MARARA exercise organized by the French Armed Forces in French Polynesia (FAPF).
As part of the overseas forces’ capability renewal program, the Jean Tranape is joining the French Navy’s forces in New Caledonia (FANC). Its main missions will include monitoring French maritime areas, combating illicit trafficking, protecting fisheries, and supporting search and rescue operations at sea and humanitarian interventions.
An innovative vessel in more ways than one, the POM Jean Tranape is a modern, robust, and long-endurance patrol boat capable of carrying out its missions far and for extended periods. It boasts enhanced surveillance capabilities thanks to the implementation of the Navy’s onboard mini-drone system (SMDM). Its operational range is double that of previous-generation patrol boats.
