French minesweeper Vulcain

Vulcain (M611) is a Vulcain-class minesweeper of the French Navy. She is classed by the French Navy as a BBPD type vessel (French: bâtiment-base de plongeurs démineurs) and is used as a base ship for clearance divers.

Vulcain at Caen in 2013
History
France
Name	Vulcain
Builder	Chantiers et ateliers de la Perrière, Lorient
Laid down	15 May 1985
Launched	17 January 1986
Commissioned	11 October 1986
Identification	MMSI number: 227800300 Callsign: FYCL Pennant number: M611
Status	Active in service
General characteristics
Type	Vulcain-class minesweeper
Tonnage	490 DWT
Displacement	409 tonnes
Length	41.6 m (136 ft 6 in)
Beam	7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)
Draught	3.20 m (10 ft 6 in)
Installed power	2,200 hp
Propulsion	2 × SACM-Wärtsilä diesel engines 1 × bow thruster (70 hp)
Speed	13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph)
Range	7,400 nmi (13,700 km; 8,500 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) 2,850 nmi (5,280 km; 3,280 mi) at 13.5 kn (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph)
Complement	1 officer 10 petty officers Quartermasters and sailors
Armament	2 × AA-52 machine guns

Construction and career

Vulcain was launched on 17 January 1986 and commissioned on 11 October. She is based in Cherbourg Naval Base, in Cherbourg, France, and is run by the 1st GPD Groupement de Plongeurs démineurs, a group of French Army clearance divers. Since 16 May 1987, she has been symbolically linked with the town of Honfleur. The personnel on board usually comprises 12 divers, 1 medical officer and 1 nurse.

Other BBPDs of the Vulcain type are:

• BBPD Styx - M614
• BBPD Pluton - M622
• BBPD Achéron - A613

See also

• List of active French Navy ships

Bibliography

• Jordan, John (1995). "France". In Chumbley, Stephen (ed.). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 95–131. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
• Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2004). Jane's Fighting Ships 2004–2005. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-2623-1.