French equipment manufacturer CNIM is right on track and on time to deliver a new generation of landing craft to the French Navy (Marine Nationale). The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) on November 26, 2021 reported that the French Navy has received two EDA-S Amphibious Standard Landing Crafts. Awarded to CNIM in January 2019, the EDA-S (for “engins de débarquement amphibie standards” in French) contract calls for the delivery of 14 new LCU type landing craft to replace the ageing “CTM” of the French Navy.
Four more EDA-S will be delivered between the beginning and the end of 2022 for a total of six landing craft delivered to the customer as part of the first tranche. A second tranche for eight more EDA-S will follow. his new fleet of EDA-S will be based on the CNIM LCA design to operate in extremely shallow waters, and to carry troops, vehicles and military equipment with a nominal payload capacity of 65 tonnes and a maximum payload capacity of 80 tonnes. The EDA-S are compact vessels (length 28.8 meters / width 6.7 meters) allowing the LHD to embark up to four of them.
Adaptable to any type of amphibious ship, NATO or Makassar class, the LCA is designed to efficiently transfer equipment and troops ashore. Robust, reliable, with excellent mobility and maneuverability, the LCA lands and reembarks Ground Forces in record time during amphibious assault operations. Compared to the ageing CTM, the new EDA-S will provide the French Navy with a number of new capabilities, among which: Leclerc Main Battle Tank capability, Higher speed, Better sea keeping (up to sea state 5) and Higher payload
The EDA-S and in-service EDA-R are complementary in terms of mission capabilities and speed; they have similar load capacities (the EDA-S is designed to carry 65 tonnes in its nominal load configuration, and has a maximum load of 80 tonnes, equivalent to the nominal load of the EDA-R. ) and are both able to conduct amphibious operations in very shallow water (<1m deep). Aboard a Mistral-class LHD, the French Navy can sail with either four EDA-S or two EDA-S and an EDA-R, as required.
