Egypt to receive FREMM frigate on 23 June Egypt will induct into service on 23 June the ex-French FREMM Normandie, seen here during combat systems trials off Toulon in
June 2014. Source: Victor M.S. Barreira france will hand over the FREMM (Frégate Européenne Multi-Missions)
frigate Normandie (D651) to the Egyptian Navy on 23 June at the company's shipyard in Lorient, Western France.

The ship will retain its pennant number, although despite reports suggesting it will be re-named Al-.Cairo , its new name is still to be revealed. The ceremony will take place in the.presence of Rear Admiral Osama Rabie, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian
Navy, and Admiral Bernard Rogel, chief of Staff of the French Navy.
The 5,200-tonne ship was scheduled to be the French Navy's second aquitaine-class frigate, with delivery to the Organisation for Joint
Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on behalf of the French procurement
directorate Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) originally planned for late 2014.
However the development of a government-to-government arrangement, that culminated in an agreement signed on 16 February 2015, saw the ship heading for Egypt
instead. The arrangement will see DCNS undertake outfitting work including translation of man-machine jnterfaces into Arabic, and the delivery of logistics support, spares,
and maintenance services, as well as training activity alongside DCI- NAVFCO.

The ship will retain its original
SYLVER A43 vertical launching system (VLS) (for Aster 15 missiles purchased by Egypt); the Sagem Vigy MM fire-
control system; Thales' UMS 4110 CL and CAPTAS 4 sonar systems; the.Nexter Systems NARWHAL 20B remote weapon stations; DCNS's
Contralto-V anti-torpedo decoy launchers and Sagem's NGDS multiple decoy launchers; and launchers for MBDA Exocet MM 40 block 3 anti-ship missiles and
Eurotorp MU90 Impact lightweight torpedoes.
DCNS will, however, remove both its own SYLVER A70 VLS (that fires the MBDA Missile de Croisière Naval [MdCN] long-range land-attack cruise
missile) and the Elettronica Radar- electronic Counter Measures (R-ECM) system.
The frigate will sail for Egypt around.20 July, before taking part in Egypt's.new Suez Canal inauguration ceremony on 6 August.

http://www.janes.com/article/52436/egypt-to-receive-fremm-frigate-on-23-june