The French Navy has contracted Piriou Shipyard for 16 RP30NG tugboats to modernize its port support fleet, with deliveries starting in 2028.
The French Ministry of Defense's General Directorate of Armament (DGA) has awarded a contract to Piriou Shipyard for the construction of 16 new generation RP30NG type tugboats to renew the French Navy's port support fleet.
As announced on October 29, 2026, it has been confirmed that the first four tugboats will be built at Piriou's facilities in Concarneau, France. The construction of the remaining 12 tugboats will be evaluated as an option.
The new vessels are planned to enter service in the French Navy's main land and overseas naval bases starting in 2028.
The RP30NG type tugboats are specifically designed to support the port maneuvers of the French Navy's nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SNLE), nuclear attack submarines (SNA), and large surface combatants.
In addition to port towing and pushing operations, the vessels will also be capable of performing firefighting, marine pollution response, port entry protection, fisheries monitoring, and search and rescue operations at sea.
The new class, developed based on Piriou's commercial tugboat designs, will be equipped with special equipment and maneuverability capabilities required for military operations.
The technical specifications of the new generation RP30NG tugboats are as follows:
Full loaded displacement;
30 tons bollard pull
2 × approximately 1,100 kW
2 stern azimuth thrusters
Operational range;
Up to 200 nautical miles from the shore
The tugboats are designed to operate for several days at distances of up to 200 nautical miles from the shore, outside of port operations.
Vincent Faujour, President of Piriou, stated that the new contract is a sign of the trust that the French Defense Procurement Agency has in the company.
Faujour emphasized that Piriou is the last domestic manufacturer in France to build tugboats with a towing power of over 30 tons.
Recalling that the company previously delivered four RP30/RPC30 type tugboats to the French Navy, Faujour noted that they have also built numerous tugboats with towing powers ranging from 30 to 75 tons for commercial operators.
Faujour pointed out that the new order strengthens Piriou's position in the military shipbuilding market and highlighted the importance of adapting commercial ship design and production experience to military needs.
The order placed as part of the program to modernize the French Navy's port support fleet is a continuation of a previous contract signed in 2020, which resulted in the delivery of four RP30 type tugboats.
In the new program, the aim is to shorten construction times with a series production approach, while the maintenance and operational support services for the vessels will also be evaluated under the contract.
The first RP30NG tugboats are expected to be delivered to the French Navy in 2028.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
