User:IBrock/Patrouilleur d’Outre-Mer

The 'Patrouilleur d’Outre-Mer' (POM) is a class of offshore patrol ships for the French Navy. Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, described the POMs as having "a strategic function: They are essential to protect our exclusive economic zone, to fight against trafficking and to participate in rescue operations. The first one will be delivered to New Caledonia in 2022. Our future POM OPV is also a real innovation. Featuring an aluminum hull, it will be the first small-scale vessel to integrate an on-board UAV system and a hydrographic capacity for mapping the seabed.” The ships are planned to protect the offshore economic zones of France's territories in the Pacific and Indian Ocean and two ships each are to be based in New Caledonia, Tahiti and Réunion.

The lead vessel of the class, Auguste Benebig, began construction in October 2020 and was launched on October 15, 2021. She began sea trials in July 2022 and is anticipated to be based in New Caledonia from 2023, where she will replace the patrol vessel La Glorieuse.