The Jacques Stosskopf Support Ship (BRF) is the second of the French Navy’s new support vessels in a series that will eventually include four ships. It is named after Jacques Stosskopf (1898-1944), a member of the French Resistance who died in deportation, a naval engineer, and head of the new construction section at the Lorient arsenal. Furthermore, it is twinned with the city of Colmar and the 121st Transport Regiment, delegations from which will be present at the ceremony. It also sponsors three defense classes. The first BRF, the Jacques Chevallier, was delivered by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) in 2023 and entered active service in 2024.
Built in Saint-Nazaire by Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group, as part of a Franco-Italian cooperation project led by OCCAR on behalf of the DGA (French Directorate General of Armaments) and its Italian counterpart NAVARM, the BRFs (Replenishment and Supply Ships) will replace the Var, Marne, and Somme command and supply ships (BCR) . Deliveries are scheduled from 2023 to 2029, at a rate of one delivery every two years, thus enabling the French Navy to achieve the operational objectives set by the last two military programming laws.
Versatile and autonomous, the BRFs embody the keystone of our strategic autonomy, enabling France to possess an ocean-going navy. Like an umbilical cord for the fleet, these supply ships play a major role for vessels that can conduct extended operations far from national territory.
They can accommodate a maritime force command headquarters on one side, containers and repair workshops on the other, and have logistical, cargo, and fuel capacities almost double those of the previous generation. Equipped with a double hull, they are designed for high-intensity naval operations. In particular, they provide at-sea support for the carrier strike group centered around the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and will be capable of supporting the next-generation aircraft carrier.
The delivery ceremony will be presided over by Vice Admiral Christophe Cluzel, Commander of the Naval Action Force. Several key stakeholders who played a major role in the BRF delivery process will also be present, including representatives from OCCAR, Naval Group, Chantiers de l’Atlantique, and the DGA (French Directorate General of Armaments). Following these presentations, the agreement will be officially signed, followed by a symbolic handover from industry to the French Navy, marked by the presentation of a plaque and a model of the BRF.
