The French Navy’s frigate Courbet interrupted its mission in the Mediterranean and returned to Toulon last Sunday after a fire in the “engine room” that caused no injuries, military authorities learned on Friday.
Fire, the sailor’s worst enemy
The French ship, on a mission under the command of the Commander in the Mediterranean (CECMED), was able to return to Toulon “in autonomy,” he added. The fire, whose causes are still unknown, caused only “limited” damage.
Frigates are “multipurpose combat ships,” responsible for “enforcing national interests in overseas maritime spaces and participating in crisis resolution outside Europe,” according to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces website. A violent fire affected the La Perle submersible in July 2020, during a maintenance project, which returned to the fleet in July 2023.
The fire, probably caused by lightning that consumed a sheet of vinyl plastic, considerably damaged the front of the submarine, which was then emptied of its weapons, electronic and nuclear combustion equipment. The decision to restore it resulted in a ten-month project.
Source: BFM TV
