Was the frigate Amiral Ronarc’h the victim of sabotage?

The frigate Amiral Ronarc’h, currently under construction in Lorient, is reported to have been the target of an act of sabotage. According to information reported by Le Télégramme, an investigation has been opened to shed full light on the incident. The frigate in question is the first in a series of five ships, three of which are scheduled for delivery before 2030.

It appears that several cables were deliberately cut a few weeks ago, while the defence and intervention frigate (FDI) was in dry dock, in basin number 3 of the Lorient industrial site. The Lorient public prosecutor’s office registered the complaint filed by the shipbuilder Naval Group, but eventually transferred the case to the Rennes public prosecutor’s office, which has jurisdiction over military matters. The authorities have opened an investigation for “destruction of property liable to harm the fundamental interests of the Nation”. The general commanding the maritime gendarmerie has been put in charge of the investigation, and will have to determine whether this act was carried out by a disgruntled employee, an extremist activist, or a foreign power.

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