According to a tweet published by the French Navy on August 3, 2022, two new EDA-S amphibious standard landing craft, Arbalète and Arquebuse have joined the French Navy.
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French EDA-S Amphibious Standard Landing Craft Arquebuse (Picture source: French Navy)
The standard amphibious landing craft (EDAS) is a conventional monohull landing craft. Fourteen of them have been ordered by the French defense procurement agency (DGA) to equip the French Navy starting in 2021.
The project designer, Constructions navales et industrielles de la Méditerranée (CNIM), has subcontracted production to the French shipyard Socarenam in Saint-Malo. The Mistral-class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHDs) will be able to carry four EDASs in their floodable invert, or two EDA-Ss and one EDAR.
EDA-Ss are slightly larger than their predecessors, the Chaland de transport de matériel(CRM). This gives them the ability to sail a little farther offshore. Their maneuverability has been improved compared to the CTM.
They are designed so that the French Navy's amphibious helicopter carriers (PHA) can take four of them on board in their submerged hull, or only two if they are accompanied by an EDAR. Their loading capacity allows them to carry the Leclerc tank, the Army's largest combat tank.
Designed on the model of a ro-ro ship, they have a double access ramp, one at the front and one at the back, to facilitate embarkation and disembarkation operations. The EDA-S are armed with a crew of four sailors and are equipped with three 12.7 mm machine guns.
