The ship's missions and the general requirements for apparatus, offices and scientific equipment are outlined in the report by the ad-hoc group; detailed requirements appear in the report by the GSP.

Missions

  • Deep and coastal water hydrography and deploying hydrographic launches
  • Exploration of the water column and currents
  • Submarine cartography using its sounders and cataloguing of the sub-soil (seismic surveying, gravimetry, magnetism)
  • Multi-scale study of physical, biological or geological processes
  • Exploration of sites using acoustic equipment, deployment of towed (SAR), remotely operated (Victor 6000) or autonymous devices (Nautile), positioning of heavy machinery close to the seabed by cable (Penfeld)
  • Removal and analysis of water samples, of living matter, sediment or rocks
  • Launching of the navy's Newtsuit system for assisting submarines in difficulty

Main features

  • Overall length: 107.6m
  • Overall beam: 20m
  • Max. draught: 6.9m
  • Maximum displacement: 6600 tons
  • Gross tonnage: 7854 UMS
  • Year of construction: 2005
  • Bureau Veritas classification: Class 1, , Special use, high sea, ALP, ALM, ALS, AUT-IMS, AUT-PORT, SYS-NEQ-1, DYNAPOS AM/AT R, COMF-G1
  • Registration number: BR 925 375 
  • MMSI number: 228 207 600
  • Stabilisation: passive Flume tank, capacity 49m3
  • Non-scientific crew: 33 according to the mission type
  • Average operating speed in transit and during a mission:
  • Max. speed during tests: 14.5 knots
  • Range: 64 days at 11 knots
  • Crew: 18 to 33, plus 2 students or a doctor
  • Scientists, technicians and hydrographers onboard: max. 40
  • Working areas: all oceans apart from polar areas
  • Fitted by: Genavir

Interoperability with the hydrographic and oceanographic ship, the Beautemps-Beaupré

Deck equipment

  • Stern A-frame 22t, for operating manned devices (ALS) and unmanned ones (ALM).
  • Oceanographic winch for core-sampling, dredging, pulling towed devices and deploying heavy machinery on the seabed. Load limits depend on the type of cable used.

  • Lateral launching beam, 15t capacity (core-sampling, heavy machinery)
  • Hydrology/bathysounder winches and A-frame (measurements and sampling in the water column)
  • 20 sites for laboratory and technical containers (20 feet long)

More than 950m² of scientific offices

  • Under the working deck:
    • equipment storage/ballast/core-sampling tubes (225m²)
    • Store for sensitive sensors (10m²)
  • On the working deck:
    • Laboratories (122m²) in communication with the hangar and the lateral gangway
    • Hanger for working on deployed systems (270m²)
    • Technical premises for the mission and for storage (100m²)
    • Data processing room (75m²)
  • On the upper decks:
    • Laboratories (58m²)
    • Conference room (65m²)
    • Scientific control room and computer rooms (115m²)
 

Scientific equipment

  • Precise satellite or acoustic positionning systems (DGPS, ultra-short base)
  • Multibeam sounders for shallow water, multibeam sounders for deep water, dual-frequency, wide swathe or high resolution
  • Sediment penetrator, wideband
  • Gravimeter
  • Doppler current meter (38 to 150kHz)
  • Towing oceanographic observation (SeaSor) or geophysical (lateral sonars, magnetometry, seismic) systems.
  • Scientific and multimedia IT systems with Inmarsat link

Propulsion

  • Diesel electric, together with DPII dynamic positionning allowing position holding and lane following

Pollution

Meets the most stringent standards