French frigate Germinal (F735)

Frigate Germinal Frigate Germinal
History
France
Name:	Germinal
Namesake:	Month of Germinal
Ordered:	1989
Builder:	Chantiers de l'Atlantique
Laid down:	17 August 1992
Launched:	14 March 1993
Commissioned:	17 May 1994
Homeport:	Fort-de-France, Martinique
General characteristics
Class & type:	Floréal-class frigate
Displacement:	2600 tonnes (2950 tonnes full load)
Length:	93.50 m (306.8 ft)
Beam:	14 m (46 ft)
Draught:	4.40 m (14.4 ft)
Propulsion:	Engines : 4 diesel SEMT Pielstick 6PA6 L280 Auxiliaries : 1 Ulstein 200 kW beam propulsor Propellers : 2 variable pace Lips Propulsive power : 8800 hp (6470 kW) Electric Plant : 3 Baudouin 12P15 2SR diesel alternators and 3 Alsthom AA 49L9 alternators Electric Power : 3 × 590 kW
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range:	10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) 13,000 nautical miles (24,000 km; 15,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried:	ETN 90 (Embarcation de Transport en Nombre) Zodiac Hurricane 530 OB with two Yamaha 2T 140 CV VETOL engines One 10-seat zodiac
Complement:	11 officers 36 non-commissioned officers 42 men (11 men for the helicopter)
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar: DRBV-21C (Mars) air sentry radar Racal Decca RM1290 navigation radar Racal Decca RM1290 landing radar Navigation Microcin type intertial navigation system Ben LMN4 loch Furuno depth measure system Navstar GPS system Taiyo gonio VHF radio
Electronic warfare & decoys:	ARBG-1A Saïgon 2 Dagaie decoy systems
Armament:	2 Exocet MM38 missiles 1 × 100 mm CADAM turret with Najir fire control system 2 × 20 mm modèle F2 guns
Aircraft carried:	1 Panther helicopter

The Germinal is a light monitoring frigate ("frégate de surveillance") of the French Marine Nationale. She is the sixth and last ship of her class, and the first French vessel named after Germinal, the 7th month of the Republican Calendar.

Her main mission is monitoring traffic in the Northern Sea and respond to ecological emergencies.

In April 2012, Germinal was in New Orleans, LA for the Navy Week celebrations commemorating the War of 1812. Docked at the Esplanade Avenue wharf near two US Navy vessels, she was open for public tours.