View source for French Navy

{{short description|Maritime arm of the French Armed Forces}}
{{about|the military of France|the 2009 single by Camera Obscura|My Maudlin Career}}
{{redirect|la Royale|other topics|Royale (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = French Navy
| native_name = {{lang|fr|Marine nationale}}
| image = LOGO MARINE NATIONALE 2021.svg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Logo of the French Navy since 2021
| start_date = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1626}}
| country = {{flagcountry|France}}
| allegiance = 
| branch = 
| type = [[Navy]]
| role = [[Naval warfare]]
| website = [https://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine defense.gouv.fr/marine]
| size = 40,000+ personnel (2025)<ref name="Key figures in 2016">{{cite web|url=http://www.defense.gouv.fr/english/portail-defense |title=Defence Key Figures: 2016 Edition |language=en |publisher=Ministère des Armėes}} (download PDF file or see [https://www.defense.gouv.fr/content/download/400382/6028076/file/Chiffrescle%CC%81s2015GB.PDF HTML version] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906213134/https://www.defense.gouv.fr/content/download/400382/6028076/file/Chiffrescle%CC%81s2015GB.PDF |date=6 September 2015 }})</ref> and 7,000 civilians (2021)<br>180 ships<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/organisation/forces/force-d-action-navale/forces-de-surface/forces-de-surface |title=Forces de surface |publisher=Ministère des Armėes |access-date=29 August 2021}}</ref><br>178 aircraft<ref>{{cite journal|title=World Air Forces 2019|journal=Flightglobal|page=16|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/asset/26019/waf/|access-date=7 August 2019}}</ref>
*'''[[Naval Action Force|FAN]]'''
*'''[[Submarine forces (France)|FSM]]'''
*'''[[French Naval Aviation|AVIA]]'''
*'''[[FORFUSCO]]'''
*'''[[Marseille Marine Fire Battalion|Marins Pompiers]]'''
*'''[[Maritime Gendarmerie|Gendarmerie Maritime]]'''
*'''Service de soutien de la Flotte'''
| command_structure = 
| garrison = '''Main''': [[Brest Arsenal|Brest]], [[Île Longue]], [[Military port of Toulon|Toulon]]<br>'''Secondary''': [[Cherbourg]], [[Lorient]]<br>'''[[Overseas departments and territories of France|French overseas territories]]''': [[Fort Saint Louis (Martinique)|Fort de France]], [[Degrad des Cannes]], [[Port des Galets]], [[Dzaoudzi]], [[Nouméa]], [[Papeete]]<br>'''Overseas''': [[Dakar]], [[Djibouti]], [[Abu Dhabi]]
| garrison_label = 
| nickname = ''La Royale''
| patron = 
| motto = ''[[Honneur, patrie, valeur, discipline]]'' <br>("Honour, homeland, valour, discipline")
| colors = Blue, white, red
| colors_label = Colours
| march = 
| mascot = 
| equipment = [[Current French Navy ships|Current fleet]]
| equipment_label = Ships
| battles = {{collapsible list
| titlestyle                    = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
| title                         = ''See list''
|
[[Anglo-French War (1627–1629)]] <br />[[Franco-Spanish War (1635–59)]] <br />[[Second Anglo-Dutch War]] <br />[[Franco-Dutch War]] <br />[[Nine Years' War]] <br />[[War of the Spanish Succession]] <br />[[War of the Austrian Succession]] <br />[[Seven Years' War]] <br />[[American Revolutionary War]] <br />[[Anglo-French War (1778–1783)]] <br />[[French Revolutionary Wars]] <br />[[Napoleonic Wars]] <br />[[French conquest of Algeria]] <br />[[Battle of the Tagus]]<br /> [[Pastry War]]<br />[[Crimean War]] <br />[[Second French intervention in Mexico]] <br />[[Sino-French War]] <br />[[French conquest of Morocco]] <br />[[World War I]] <br />[[World War II]] <br />[[Indochina War]] <br />[[Korean War]] <br />[[Algerian War]] <br />[[Operation Musketeer (1956)|Operation Musketeer]] <br />[[Bizerte crisis]] <br />[[Lebanese Civil War]] <br />[[Gulf War]] <br />[[Yugoslav Wars]] <br />[[Kosovo War]] <br />[[1999 East Timorese crisis]] <br />[[War on terror]] <br />[[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]] <br />[[Opération Harmattan]] <br />[[Red Sea crisis]] <br /> *[[Operation Aspides]]
}}
| anniversaries = 
| decorations = 
| battle_honours = 
| disbanded = <!-- Commanders -->
| commander1 = [[President of France|President]] [[Emmanuel Macron]]
| commander1_label = [[Chief of the Armed Forces (France)|Chief of the Armed Forces]]
| commander2 = [[Ranks in the French Navy|Amiral]] Nicolas Vaujour
| commander2_label = [[Chief of Staff of the French Navy|Chef d'État-Major de la Marine, CEMM]]
| commander3 = Vice-amiral d'escadre Stanislas Gourlez de la Motte
| commander3_label = [[Chief of Staff of the French Navy|Major Général de la Marine]]
| notable_commanders = <!-- Insignia --> {{hidden
|See list:
|{{indented plainlist|
* [[Louis Victor de Rochechouart, Duke of Vivonne]]
* [[Anne Hilarion de Tourville]]
* [[Jean Bart]]
* [[François Joseph Paul de Grasse]]
* [[Charles-Alexandre Léon Durand Linois]]
* [[Guy-Victor Duperré]]
* [[Henri de Rigny]]
* [[Amédée Courbet]]
}}
|headerstyle=background:#dbdbdb
}}
| identification_symbol = [[Ranks in the French Navy]]
| identification_symbol_label = Insignia
| identification_symbol_2 = [[File:Ensign of France.svg|100px|center|border]]
| identification_symbol_2_label = [[French ensigns|Naval ensign]]
| identification_symbol_3 = 
| identification_symbol_3_label = 
| identification_symbol_4 = 
| identification_symbol_4_label = <!-- Aircraft -->
| aircraft_attack = [[Rafale|Rafale M]]
| aircraft_bomber = 
| aircraft_electronic = [[E-2 Hawkeye]]
| aircraft_fighter = [[Rafale|Rafale M]]
| aircraft_helicopter = [[NH90]], [[Eurocopter Lynx]], [[Eurocopter Panther|Panther]], [[Eurocopter Dauphin|Dauphin]]
| aircraft_helicopter_attack = [[NH90]], [[Eurocopter Panther|Panther]]
| aircraft_helicopter_cargo = 
| aircraft_helicopter_multirole = 
| aircraft_helicopter_observation = 
| aircraft_helicopter_utility = 
| aircraft_interceptor = 
| aircraft_patrol = [[Bréguet 1150 Atlantic]], [[Dassault Falcon 20]],  [[Dassault Falcon 50]], [[Dassault Falcon 2000]]
| aircraft_recon = 
| aircraft_trainer = [[Mudry CAP 10]], [[Socata Rallye|MS-88 Rallye]], [[Dassault Falcon 10]], [[Embraer EMB 121 Xingu]]
| aircraft_transport = [[Dassault Falcon 10]], [[Embraer EMB 121 Xingu]]
}}
{{command structure
|name=Marine nationale
|bodyclass = plainlist
|date=
|parent=''[[French Armed Forces|Armées françaises]]'' (French military)
|subordinate=
* [[Force d'action navale]]
* [[Submarine forces (France)|Forces sous-marines]] ([[Force océanique stratégique|FOST]], [[Submarine forces (France)|ESNA]])
* [[Aviation navale]]
* [[FORFUSCO]] ([[Naval commandos (France)|Commandos Marine]] and [[Fusiliers marins]])
* [[Maritime Gendarmerie|Gendarmerie Maritime]]
* [[Marseille Marine Fire Battalion|Bataillon des marins pompiers de Marseille]]
* [[Commissariat]]
* [[Service de soutien de la flotte]]
* [[Service hydrographique et océanographique de la marine]]
* [[Service de l'aéronautique navale]]
}}

The '''French Navy''' ({{langx|fr|Marine nationale}}, {{IPA|fr|maʁin nɑsjɔnal|pron}}, {{lit|National Navy}}), informally {{lang|fr|La Royale}} ({{IPA|fr|la ʁwajal}}, {{lit|The Royal [One]}}), is the [[Navy|maritime arm]] of the [[French Armed Forces]] and one of the four military service branches of [[History of France|France]]. It is among the largest and most powerful [[List of navies|naval forces in the world]] recognised as being a [[blue-water navy]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bratton|first1=Patrick C|last2=Till|first2=Geoffrey|title=Sea Power and the Asia-Pacific|publisher=Routledge|year=2012|location=London, United Kingdom|isbn=978-1136627248|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RxOpAgAAQBAJ}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Royal Navy: Britain's Trident for a Global Agenda|url=http://henryjacksonsociety.org/2006/11/04/the-royal-navy-britains-trident-for-a-global-agenda/|work=henryjacksonsociety.org|publisher=[[Henry Jackson Society]]|access-date=4 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911235404/http://henryjacksonsociety.org/2006/11/04/the-royal-navy-britains-trident-for-a-global-agenda/|archive-date=11 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Bennett|first1=James C|title=The Anglosphere Challenge: Why the English-speaking Nations Will Lead the Way in the Twenty-first Century|date=1 January 2007|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|location=United States|isbn=978-0742533332|page=286|quote=...the United States and the United Kingdom have the world's two best world-spanning blue-water navies... with the French being the only other candidate... and China being the most likely competitor in the long term}}</ref> The French Navy is capable of operating globally and conducting expeditionary missions, maintaining a significant [[Standing French Navy Deployments|overseas presence]]. The French Navy is one of eight naval forces currently operating [[Fixed-wing aircraft|fixed-wing]] [[aircraft carrier]]s,<ref group="Note">Along with the [[United States Navy|U.S.]], [[Royal Navy|U.K.]], [[People's Liberation Army Navy|China]], [[Russian Navy|Russia]], [[Italian Navy|Italy]], [[Indian Navy|India]], and [[Spanish Navy|Spain]]</ref> with its flagship {{ship|French aircraft carrier|Charles de Gaulle||2}} being the only [[Nuclear marine propulsion|nuclear-powered]] aircraft carrier outside the [[United States Navy]], and one of two non-American vessels to use [[Aircraft catapult|catapults]] to launch aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Suciu|first=Peter|date=2021-04-07|title=France's Brand New Aircraft Carrier is On Its Way|url=https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/frances-brand-new-aircraft-carrier-its-way-182080|access-date=2021-06-04|website=The National Interest}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Yeo|first=Mike|date=2022-06-17|title=China Launches Third Carrier|url= https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2022/06/17/china-launches-third-aircraft-carrier/|access-date=2022-08-22|website=DefenseNews}}
</ref>

Founded in the 17th century, the French Navy is one of the oldest navies still in continuous service, with precursors dating back to the Middle Ages. It has taken part in key events in French history, including the Napoleonic Wars and both world wars, and played a critical role in establishing and securing the [[French colonial empire]] for over 400 years. The French Navy pioneered several innovations in naval technology, including the first steam-powered [[ship of the line]], first seagoing [[ironclad warship]], first mechanically propelled [[submarine]], first steel-hulled warship, and first [[armoured cruiser]].

The French Navy consists of six main components: the [[Naval Action Force]], the [[Submarine forces (France)|Submarine Forces]] ([[Force océanique stratégique|FOST]] and [[Submarine forces (France)|ESNA]]), [[French Naval Aviation]], the [[Fusiliers marins|Navy Riflemen]] (including [[Naval Commandos (France)|Naval Commandos]]), the [[Marseille Marine Fire Battalion|Marseille Naval Fire Battalion]], and the [[Maritime Gendarmerie]]. As of 2021, the French Navy employed 44,000 personnel (37,000 military and 7,000 civilian), more than 180 ships, 200 aircraft, and six commandos units;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.defense.gouv.fr/english/marine/forces|access-date=2021-06-05 |title=Forces |publisher=Ministère des Armėes}}</ref> as of 2014, its [[Military reserve forces of France|reserve element]] numbered roughly 48,000.<ref name="Key figures in 2014">{{cite web|title=Key defence figures 2014|url=http://www.defense.gouv.fr/content/download/302626/4023685/file/Chiffres%20cl%C3%A9s%20de%20la%20D%C3%A9fense%20-%202014%20(GB).pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213014855/http://www.defense.gouv.fr/content/download/302626/4023685/file/Chiffres%20cl%C3%A9s%20de%20la%20D%C3%A9fense%20-%202014%20%28GB%29.pdf|archive-date=2014-12-13|publisher=Ministère des Armėes|language=fr}}</ref>

It operates a wide range of fighting vessels, including various aeronaval forces, [[SSN (hull classification symbol)|attack]] and [[ballistic missile submarine|ballistic missile]] [[List of submarines of France|submarines]], [[frigate]]s, [[patrol boat]]s and support ships, with aircraft carrier ''Charles de Gaulle'' serving as the centrepiece of most expeditionary forces.

== Origins ==
The history of French naval power dates back to the [[Middle Ages]], and had three loci of evolution:
* The [[Mediterranean Sea]], where the ''[[Knights Hospitaller|Ordre de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem]]'' had its own navy, the [[Levant Fleet]], whose principal ports were [[Fréjus]], [[Marseille]], and [[Toulon]]. The ''Ordre'', which was both a religious and military order, recruited knights from the families of [[French nobility]]. Members who had fulfilled their service at sea were granted the rank of [[Knights Hospitaller]], elites who served as the officer corps. The ''Ordre'' was one of the ancestors of modern French naval schools including the [[École Navale|French Naval Academy]].
* The [[English Channel|Manche]] along [[Normandy]] which, since [[William the Conqueror]], always tendered capable [[marines]] and [[sailors]] from its numerous active seaports.
* The [[Atlantic Ocean]], where the navy of the [[Duchy of Brittany]] eventually constituted the nucleus of the royal ''[[Flotte du Ponant]],'' which projected French naval power across the Atlantic and the Americas.

== Names and symbols ==
The first true French Royal Navy ({{langx|fr|la Marine Royale}}) was established in 1626 by [[Cardinal Richelieu]], chief minister to King [[Louis XIII]]. During the [[French Revolution]], {{lang|fr|la Marine Royale}} was formally renamed {{lang|fr|la Marine Nationale}}. Under the [[First French Empire]] and the [[Second French Empire]], the navy was designated as the [[Imperial French Navy]] ({{lang|fr|la Marine impériale française}}). Institutionally, however, the navy has never lost its short familiar nickname, {{lang|fr|la Royale}}.

The original symbol of the French Navy was a golden [[anchor]], which, beginning in 1830, was interlaced by a [[Sheet (sailing)|sailing rope]]; this symbol was featured on all naval vessels, arms, and uniforms.<ref>{{lang|fr|L'Ordonnance royale de 1772 prévoit le port de l'ancre d'or sur les tenues des régiments des ports constituant le corps royal de la Marine, implantés à Toulon, Brest, Rochefort, Saint-Malo, Bordeaux, Le Havre, Bayonne et Cherbourg.}}</ref> Although anchor symbols are still used on uniforms, a new naval logo was introduced in 1990 under [[Chief of Staff of the French Navy|Naval Chief of Staff]] Bernard Louzeau, featuring a modern design that incorporates the [[Flag of France|tricolour]]—by flanking the bow section of a white warship with two ascending red and blue spray foams—and the inscription "{{lang|fr|Marine nationale}}".

== History ==
{{Main|History of the French Navy}}
{{French military}}
[[Image:Ancre Marine nationale.svg|160px|right|thumb|The historic "Golden Anchor" symbol]]

=== 17th century ===
Cardinal Richelieu personally supervised the Navy until his death in 1643.<ref name="Auphan1">{{Cite book |last1=Auphan |first1=Gabriel Paul |author-link1=Gabriel Auphan |last2=Mordai |first2=Jacques |translator-last=Sabalot |translator-first=A.C.J. |title=The French Navy in World War II |year=2016 |orig-year=1959 |publisher=[[Naval Institute Press]] |location=Annapolis |isbn=978-1-68247-060-2 |chapter=Chapter 1: The Naval Tradition of France }}</ref> He was succeeded by his protégé, [[Jean Baptiste Colbert]], who introduced the first code of regulations of the French Navy and established the original naval dockyards in [[Brest, France|Brest]] and [[Toulon]].<ref name="Auphan1"/> Colbert and his son, the [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay|Marquis de Seignelay]], between them administered the Navy for twenty-nine years.<ref name="Auphan1"/>

During this century, the Navy cut its teeth in the [[Anglo-French War (1627–1629)]], the [[Franco-Spanish War (1635–59)]], the [[Second Anglo-Dutch War]], the [[Franco-Dutch War]], and the [[Nine Years' War]]. Major battles in these years include the [[Battle of Augusta]], [[Battle of Beachy Head (1690)|Battle of Beachy Head]], the [[Battles of Barfleur and La Hougue]], the [[Battle of Lagos (1693)|Battle of Lagos]], and the [[Battle of Texel (1694)|Battle of Texel]].

=== 18th century ===
[[File:Armement d'une frégate à Brest en 1773.jpg|thumb|Armament of a frigate in Brest, 1773]]

The 1700s opened with the [[War of the Spanish Succession]], over a decade long, followed by the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] in the 1740s. Principal engagements of these wars include the [[Battle of Vigo Bay]] and two separate [[Battle of Cape Finisterre (disambiguation)|Battles of Cape Finisterre]] in 1747. The most grueling conflict for the Navy, however, was the [[Seven Years' War]], in which it was virtually destroyed.<ref name="Auphan1"/> Significant actions include the [[Battle of Cap-Français]], the [[Battle of Quiberon Bay]], and another [[Battle of Cape Finisterre (1761)|Battle of Cape Finisterre]].

The Navy regrouped and rebuilt, and within 15 years it was eager to join the fray when [[France in the American Revolutionary War|France intervened]] in the [[American Revolutionary War]].<ref name="Auphan1"/> Though outnumbered everywhere, the French fleets held the British at bay for years until victory.<ref name="Auphan1"/> After this conflict and the concomitant [[Anglo-French War (1778–1783)]], the Navy emerged at a new height in its history.<ref name="Auphan1"/> Major battles in these years include the [[Battle of the Chesapeake]], the [[Battle of Cape Henry]], the [[Battle of Grenada]], the [[Invasion of Dominica (1778)|invasion of Dominica]], and three separate [[Battle of Ushant (disambiguation)|Battles of Ushant]].

Within less than a decade, however, the Navy was decimated by the [[French Revolution]] when large numbers of veteran officers were dismissed or executed for their noble lineage.<ref name="Auphan1"/> Nonetheless, the Navy fought vigorously through the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] as well as the [[Quasi-War]]. Significant actions include a fourth Battle of Ushant (known in English as the [[Glorious First of June]]), the [[Battle of Groix]], the [[Atlantic campaign of May 1794]], the [[French expedition to Ireland (1796)|French expedition to Ireland]], the [[Battle of Tory Island]], and the [[Battle of the Nile]].

=== 19th century ===
[[File:Napoléon inspectant l'escadre de Cherbourg en mai 1811 - Rougeron et Vignerot.jpg|thumb|180px|Napoleon inspecting the fleet of Cherbourg in May 1811 (by Rougeron and Vignerot)]]

Other engagements of the Revolutionary Wars ensued in the early 1800s, including the [[Battle of the Malta Convoy (1800)|Battle of the Malta Convoy]] and the [[Algeciras Campaign]]. The Quasi-War wound down with single-ship actions including [[USS Constellation vs La Vengeance|USS ''Constellation'' vs ''La Vengeance'']] and [[USS Enterprise vs Flambeau|USS ''Enterprise'' vs ''Flambeau'']].

When [[Napoleon]] was crowned Emperor in 1804, he attempted to restore the Navy to a position that would enable his plan for an invasion of England.<ref name="Auphan1"/> His dreams were dashed by the [[Battle of Trafalgar]] in 1805, where the British all but annihilated a combined Franco-Spanish fleet, a disaster that guaranteed British naval superiority throughout the [[Napoleonic Wars]]. Still, the Navy did not shrink from action: among the engagements of this time were the [[Battle of the Basque Roads]], the [[Battle of Grand Port]], the [[Mauritius campaign of 1809–11]], and the [[Battle of Lissa (1811)|Battle of Lissa]].

After Napoleon's fall in 1815, the long era of Anglo-French rivalry on the seas began to close, and the Navy became more of an instrument for expanding the [[French colonial empire]].<ref name="Auphan1"/> Under King [[Charles X of France|Charles X]], the two nations' fleets fought side by side in the [[Battle of Navarino]], and throughout the rest of the century they generally behaved in a manner that paved the way for the [[Entente Cordiale]].<ref name="Auphan1"/>

Charles X sent a large fleet to execute the [[invasion of Algiers in 1830]]. The next year, his successor, [[Louis Philippe I]], made a show of force against Portugal at the [[Battle of the Tagus]], and in 1838 conducted another display of [[gunboat diplomacy]], this time in Mexico at the [[Battle of Veracruz (1838)|Battle of Veracruz]]. Beginning in 1845, a five-year [[Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata]] was imposed on Argentina over trade rights.

The Emperor [[Napoleon III]] was determined to follow an even stronger foreign policy than his predecessors, and the Navy was involved in a multitude of actions around the world. He joined in the [[Crimean War]] in 1854; major actions for the Navy include the [[siege of Petropavlovsk]] and the [[Battle of Kinburn (1855)|Battle of Kinburn]]. The Navy was heavily involved in the [[Cochinchina Campaign]] in 1858, the [[Second Opium War]] in China, and the [[Second French intervention in Mexico|French intervention in Mexico]]. It took part in the [[French expedition to Korea]] and the [[Shimonoseki campaign]]. In the [[Franco-Prussian War]] in 1870, the Navy imposed an effective blockade of Germany, but events on land proceeded at such a rapid pace that it was superfluous. Isolated engagements between French and German ships took place in other theaters, but the war was over in a matter of weeks.<ref>Wawro, Geoffrey: ''The Franco-Prussian War: The German conquest of France in 1870–1871''</ref><ref>Wilhelm Rustow and John Layland Needham: ''The Way for the Rhine Frontier, 1870: Its Political and Military History''</ref>

The Navy continued to protect colonial safety and expansion under the [[French Third Republic]]. The [[Sino-French War]] saw considerable naval action including the [[Battle of Fuzhou]], the [[Battle of Shipu]], and the [[Pescadores campaign (1885)|Pescadores Campaign]]. In Vietnam, the Navy helped wage the [[Tonkin Campaign]] which included the [[Battle of Thuận An]], and it later participated in the [[Franco-Siamese conflict of 1893]].

The 19th century French Navy brought forth numerous new technologies. It led the development of [[naval artillery]] with its invention of the highly effective [[Paixhans gun]]. In 1850, {{ship|French ship|Napoléon|1850|2}} became the first steam-powered [[ship of the line]] in history, and {{ship|French ironclad|Gloire||2}} became the first seagoing [[ironclad warship]] nine years later. In 1863, the Navy launched {{ship|French submarine|Plongeur||2}}, the first submarine in the world to be propelled by mechanical power. In 1876, {{ship|French battleship|Redoutable|1876|2}} became the first steel-hulled warship ever. In 1887, [[French cruiser Dupuy de Lôme|''Dupuy de Lôme'']] became the world's first [[armoured cruiser]].

During the latter part of the century, French officers developed the so-called ''[[Jeune École]]'' (Young School) theory that emphasized the use of small, cheap [[torpedo boat]]s to destroy expensive battleships, coupled with long-range commerce raiders to attack an opponent's merchant fleet.

===20th and 21st centuries===
[[File:French battleship Richelieu underway in the Atlantic Ocean on 26 August 1943 (80-G-78789).jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[List of battleships of France|Battleship]] {{ship|French battleship|Richelieu||2}}, 1943]]

The first [[seaplane]], the French [[Fabre Hydravion]], was flown in 1910, and the first [[seaplane carrier]], {{ship|French seaplane carrier|Foudre||2}}, was christened in the following year.<ref>[http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/france.htm#foud Description] and [http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/images/europe/foudre-2.jpg photograph] of ''Foudre''</ref> Despite that innovation, the general development of the French Navy slowed down in the beginning of the 20th century as the naval arms race between Germany and Great Britain grew in intensity.

It entered [[World War I]] with relatively few modern vessels, and during the war few warships were built because the main French effort was on land. While the British held control of the North Sea, the French held the Mediterranean, where they mostly kept watch on the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy]].<ref name="Auphan1"/> The largest operations of the Navy were conducted during the [[Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign|Dardanelles Campaign]].<ref name="Auphan1"/> In December 1916, during the [[Noemvriana]] events, French warships also bombarded Athens, trying to force the pro-German government of Greece to change its policies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyFrench.htm |title=French Navy, World War 1 |publisher=Naval-history.net |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref> The French Navy also played an important role in countering Germany's [[U-boat Campaign (World War I)|U-boat campaign]] by regularly patrolling the seas and escorting convoys.<ref name="Auphan1"/>

[[File:Fregate antiaérienne.jpeg|thumb|180px|A ''Cassard''-class frigate]]

Between the World Wars, the Navy modernized and expanded significantly, even in the face of limitations set by the 1922 [[Washington Naval Treaty]].<ref name="Auphan1"/> New additions included the heavy and fast {{sclass|Fantasque|destroyer|4}} "super-[[destroyer]]s", the {{sclass|Richelieu|battleship|0}} battleships, and the submarine {{ship|French submarine|Surcouf||2}} which was the largest and most powerful of its day.

From the start of [[World War II]], the Navy was involved in a number of operations, participating in the [[Battle of the Atlantic]], the [[Norwegian Campaign]], the [[Dunkirk evacuation]] and, briefly, the [[Battle of the Mediterranean]]. However, after the [[fall of France]] in June 1940, the Navy was obligated to remain neutral under the terms of the armistice that created the truncated state of [[Vichy France]]. Worldwide, some 100 naval vessels and their crews heeded General [[Charles de Gaulle]]'s call to join forces with the British, but the bulk of the fleet, including all its capital ships, transferred loyalty to Vichy French Navy (Marine de Vichy). Concerned that the [[Kriegsmarine|German Navy]] might somehow gain control of the ships, the British mounted an [[attack on Mers-el-Kébir]], the Algerian city where many of them were harbored. The incident poisoned Anglo-French relations, leading to Vichy reprisals and a full-scale [[Naval Battle of Casablanca|naval battle at Casablanca]] in 1942 when the Allies invaded [[French North Africa]]. But the confrontations were set aside once the Germans [[Case Anton|occupied Vichy France]]. The capital ships were a primary goal of the occupation, but before they could be seized they were [[Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon|scuttled by their own crews]]. A few small ships and submarines managed to escape in time, and these joined de Gaulle's [[Free French Naval Forces]], an arm of [[Free France]] that fought as an adjunct of the [[Royal Navy]] until the end of the war. In the [[Pacific War|Pacific theatre]] as well, Free French vessels operated until the Japanese capitulation; {{ship|French battleship|Richelieu||2}} was present at the [[Japanese Instrument of Surrender]].

The Navy later provided fire support and troop transport in the [[Indochina War]], the [[Algerian War]], the [[Gulf War]], and the [[Kosovo War]].

Since 2000, the Navy has given logistical support to the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]] as well as the global [[war on terror]]. In 2011, it assisted [[Opération Harmattan]] in Libya.

{{Gallery
 |align=center
 |File:RAM BRF PA-Ng FDI.jpg|The French Navy as planned for the late 2030s: a [[Bâtiment ravitailleur de forces]] (fleet tanker) conducts simultaneous [[underway replenishment]] with the [[Future French aircraft carrier]] and with a [[Frégate de défense et d'intervention]] (Defence and Intervention Frigate).
}}

==Organisation==
[[File:French navy facilities in metropolitan France corrected 2.svg|thumb|upright=2.0|French navy facilities in metropolitan France (status 2015)]]

The chief of the naval staff is Vice-admiral d’escadre [[Arnaud de Tarlé]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/organisation/etat-major |title=État-major |language= fr |publisher=Defense.gouv.fr |date=2011-09-15 |access-date=2011-12-28}}</ref> and as of 2014 the Navy has an active strength of 36,776 military personnel and 2,909 civilian staff.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defense.gouv.fr/english/navy/forces |title=Forces (Navy) |date=18 July 2011 |publisher=[[Minister of Defense (France)|Ministry of Defence (France)]] |access-date=14 November 2011}}</ref> The Navy is organised into four main operational branches:
* The [[Force d'Action Navale]] (Naval Action Force) – Surface fleet.
* The [[Forces Sous-marines]] (Submarine forces) – Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and fleet submarines.
* The [[Aviation Navale]] (Naval air force) – Ground and sea-based aircraft.
* The [[Fusiliers Marins]] (Naval riflemen) – Protection force and infantry including the Navy special forces ([[Commandos Marine]]).

In addition, the [[National Gendarmerie]] of France maintain a maritime force of patrol boats that falls under the operational command of the French Navy:
* The [[Gendarmerie maritime]] – The coast guard of France.

During most of the Cold War, the Navy was organised in two squadrons based in Brest and Toulon, commanded by ALESCLANT (''Amiral commandant l'escadre de l'Atlantique'') and ALESCMED (''Amiral commandant l'escadre de la Méditerranée'') respectively. Since the post-Cold War restructuring process named Optimar '95, the two components have been divided into the Naval Action Force (commanded by ALFAN) and the Antisubmarine Group (commanded by ALGASM).<ref>T.D. Young, ''Command in NATO after the Cold War'', Carlisle Barracks, 1997</ref>

===Main naval bases===
As of 2014, the largest French naval base is the [[military port of Toulon]]. Other major bases in metropolitan France are the [[Brest Arsenal]] and [[Île Longue]] on the Atlantic, and [[Cherbourg Naval Base]] on the English Channel. Overseas French bases include [[Fort Saint Louis (Martinique)|Fort de France]] and [[Degrad des Cannes]] in the Americas; [[Port des Galets]] and [[Dzaoudzi]] in the Indian Ocean; and [[Nouméa]] and [[Papeete]] in the Pacific. In addition, the navy shares or leases bases in foreign locales such as [[Abu Dhabi]], [[Dakar]] and [[Djibouti (city)|Djibouti]].

==Equipment==
[[File:French destroyer Chevalier Paul (D621) underway in the Mediterranean Sea on 15 July 2017.JPG|thumb|right|The {{sclass2|Horizon|frigate|1}} {{ship|French frigate|Chevalier Paul||2}}]]
[[File:Patrouilleur Outre-Mer-Illustration 1.jpg|thumb|Illustration: [[Patrouilleur Outre-mer]]]]
[[File:FS Casabianca 03.jpg|thumb|The {{sclass|Rubis|submarine|1}} {{ship|French submarine|Casabianca|S603|2}} in 2005]]
[[File:FS CdG Dauphin.jpg|thumb|right|A French Navy [[Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin|AS365 F Dauphin helicopter]]]]

===Ships and submarines===
{{Main|List of active French Navy ships}}

Although French [[naval doctrine]] calls for two [[aircraft carrier]]s, the French only have one, {{ship|French aircraft carrier|Charles de Gaulle||2}}. Originally a planned order for [[French aircraft carrier PA2]] was based on the design of the British {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|aircraft carrier|1}} recently constructed and launched for the British Royal Navy. However, the French programme had been delayed several times for budgetary reasons and the result was priority being given to the more exportable [[FREMM]] project. In April 2013 it was confirmed that the second aircraft carrier project would be abandoned due to defence cuts announced in the [[2013 French White Paper on Defence and National Security]].

The French Navy operates three [[amphibious assault ship]]s, eleven [[destroyer]]s (classified in the French Navy as surface combatants of the "first rank"), five general purpose frigates and has a commitment to six [[SSN (hull classification symbol)|fleet submarines]] (SSNs). These vessels, with the aircraft carrier ''Charles de Gaulle'', constitute the French Navy's main ocean-going war-fighting force, while the four [[ballistic missile submarine]]s ([[SSBN]]) of the navy's [[Force océanique stratégique|Strategic Oceanic Force]] provide the backbone of the French [[nuclear deterrent]].

In addition the French Navy operates six light surveillance frigates and, as of 2025, three [[avisos]] (originally light corvettes now reclassified as offshore patrol vessels). They undertake the navy's offshore patrol duties, the protection of French naval bases and [[territorial waters]], and can also provide low-end escort capabilities to any oceangoing task force. The Navy also operates a fleet of additional offshore and coastal patrol vessels, mine countermeasures vessels as well as auxiliaries and support ships.

===Aircraft===
{{Main|List of active military aircraft of the French Armed Forces}}
{{See also|French Naval Aviation}}

The French Naval Aviation is officially known as the ''Aéronautique navale'' and was created on the 19 June 1998 with the merging of Naval patrol aircraft and aircraft carrier squadrons. It has a strength of around 6,800 civilian and military personnel operating from four airbases in Metropolitan France. The Aéronavale has been modernized with 40 [[Dassault Rafale|Rafale]] fighters which operate from the aircraft carrier ''Charles de Gaulle''.

==Personnel==
{|align=right class="wikitable"
|colspan=3 style="text-align:center;" |'''''Personnel strength of the French Navy 2015'''
|-
! align="left" width="100" | '''Category'''
! align="left" width="50" | '''Strength'''
|-
| Commissioned officers || 4,500
|-
| Petty officers || 23,600
|-
|Seamen|| 6,600
|-
|Volunteers|| 767
|-
| Civilian employees || 2,800
|-
|colspan=2|Source:<ref>[http://www.defense.gouv.fr/content/download/482812/7732293/Les%20chiffres%20cl%C3%A9s%20%C3%A9dition%202016%20FR%20.pdf  ''Chiffres clés de la Défense – 2016''] Retrieved 2017-03-06.</ref>
|}

=== Application requirement ===
====Seamen====
Seamen must be at least 17 but no more than 30 years old, with no minimum level of schooling.

====Petty officers====
Petty officers must be at least 17 but no more than 30 years old, with at least a high school diploma giving access to university studies.

Petty officer candidates begin training with five months at the Petty Officer School of Maistrance at [[Brest, France|Brest]].

====Contract officers====
Contract officers serve on an initial eight-year contract, renewable up to 20 years.
* Operational officers must be 21 to 26 years old, with at least a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree, or having passed a [[classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles]] in engineering or business.
* Staff officers have to be 21 to 29 years old, with an honors degree or master's degree in a field corresponding to the military occupational specialty.

====Career officers====
* Less than 22 years old, having passed a ''classe préparatoire'' in science. After four years at the [[École Navale]] (naval academy) a cadet will graduate as a commissioned [[Ranks in the French Navy#Officers|Enseigne de Vaisseau]] with an engineering degree.
* Less than 25 years old, having an honors degree in science. After three years at the naval academy a cadet will graduate as Enseigne de Vaisseau with an engineering degree.
* Less than 27 years old, having a master's degree. After two years at the naval academy a cadet will graduate as an Enseigne de Vaisseau.

==Customs and traditions==

===Ranks===
{{Main|Ranks in the French Navy}}

The [[Military rank|rank]] insignia of the French Navy are worn on shoulder straps of shirts and white jackets, and on sleeves for navy jackets and mantels. Until 2005, only [[Officer (armed forces)|commissioned officer]]s had an anchor on their insignia, but [[enlisted personnel]] are now receiving them as well. Commanding officers have titles of ''capitaine'', but are called ''commandant'' (in the army, both ''capitaine'' and ''commandant'' are ranks, which tends to stir some confusion among the public). The two highest ranks, ''vice-amiral d'escadre'' and ''amiral'' ([[admiral]]), are functions, rather than ranks. They are assumed by officers ranking ''vice-amiral'' ([[vice admiral]]). The only ''amiral de la flotte'' ([[Admiral of the Fleet]]) was [[François Darlan]] after he was refused the dignity of ''amiral de France'' ([[Admiral of France]]). Equivalent to the dignity of [[Marshal of France]], the rank of ''amiral de France'' remains theoretical in the [[French Fifth Republic|Fifth Republic]]; it was last granted in 1869, during the [[Second French Empire|Second Empire]], but retained during the [[French Third Republic|Third Republic]] until the death of its bearer in 1873. The title of ''amiral de la flotte'' was created so that Darlan would not have an inferior rank than his counterpart in the British [[Royal Navy]], who had the rank of [[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]].

====Commissioned officer ranks====
The rank insignia of [[commissioned officer]]s.
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OF/France}}
|}

====Other ranks====
The rank insignia of [[non-commissioned officer]]s and [[Enlisted rank|enlisted personnel]].
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Armies/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/OR/France}}
|}

===Addressing officers===
Unlike in the [[French Army]] and [[French Air and Space Force|Air and Space Force]], one does not prepend ''mon'' to the name of the rank when addressing an officer (that is, not ''mon capitaine,'' but simply ''capitaine'').<ref>[http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/dglf/cogeter/feminisation/5diversite.html#ancre1064047 Rapport sur la féminisation des noms de métier, fonction, grade ou titre – La diversité des usages<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Uniforms===
{{See also|Military uniform#France|Fusiliers marins#Uniforms}}

<gallery>
File:Jean-Bart seaman Bastille Day 2008.jpg|Winter Uniform (22)
File:Charles-de-Gaulle seaman Bastille Day 2008.jpg|Summer Uniform (26)
File:Matelot.jpg|Overseas (25)
File:Quartier maitre.jpg|Light Duty Firefighter Suit
File:Commémoration de l'Appel du 18 Juin 1940 Saint Hélier Jersey 18 juin 2013 11.jpg|[[Maritime Gendarmerie|Gendarmerie Maritime]] personnel
</gallery>

===Military music===
[[File:Defile 14 juillet - Brest - 25.JPG|thumb|The [[Brest, France|Brest]] band before its deactivation in 2012.]]
The main military musical unit of the French Navy is the Military Band of the [[Toulon]] Fleet ({{langx|fr|La musique des équipages de la flotte de Toulon}}), founded on 13 July 1827.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/patrimoine/arts-et-lettres/musiques/musique-des-equipages-de-la-flotte-de-toulon/musique-des-equipages-de-la-flotte |title=Musique des Équipages de la Flotte |publisher=Ministère des Armées |language=fr |access-date=29 August 2021}}</ref> The [[Bagad Lann Bihoue]], based on the [[bagad]] bands in [[Brittany|Bretagne]], is currently the sole [[pipe band]] in the service of the French Navy, which uses [[bagpipe]]s and [[Bombard (music)|bombard]]s, and thus is affiliated to the band.

In [[Canada]], French naval music has affected the traditions of [[Navy bands in Canada|Canadian navy bands]]. French navy bands in the country date back to the era of [[New France]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/cd/1989-v5-n2-cd1039466/7503ac.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiA3sDG1-_mAhVGeKwKHd0WBKAQFjAXegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw0VFeqWV84RU1rcA3xHPEAm |url-status=dead |title=Tambour battant: la tradition millitaire |last=Chartrand |first=René |journal=Cap-aux-Diamants |language=fr-CA |date=1989 |volume=5 |number=2 |pages=17–19 |issn=0829-7983 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731083204/https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/cd/1989-v5-n2-cd1039466/7503ac.pdf |archive-date=31 July 2020}}</ref> Musical units were primarily attached to the [[Compagnies Franches de la Marine]] and the [[Troupes de la marine]], the former of which maintained two drums (tambour) and a [[fife (instrument)|fife]].

==Future==
{{Main|Future of the French Navy}}
[[File:FREMM Bretagne en construction 6789.jpg|thumb|A [[FREMM multipurpose frigate]]]]
[[File:Flickr - Official U.S. Navy Imagery - A French landing craft comes ashore during the amphibious assault phase of Bold Alligator 2012..jpg|thumb|[[Engin de débarquement amphibie rapide|EDA-R]] landing craft]]
[[File:Barracuda-Suffren.svg|thumb|[[French Barracuda class submarine|Barracuda-class submarine]]]]

France's [[Eurozone crisis|financial problems]] have affected all branches of her military. The [[2013 French White Paper on Defence and National Security]] cancelled the long-planned [[French aircraft carrier PA2|new aircraft carrier]] and a possible fourth {{sclass|Mistral|amphibious assault ship|1}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.defense.gouv.fr/english/content/download/206186/2393586/file/White%20paper%20on%20defense%20%202013.pdf |title=French White Paper: Defence and National Security |date=2013 |publisher=Government of France |access-date=29 August 2021}}</ref> The backbone of the fleet will be the ''Aquitaine''-class [[FREMM multipurpose frigate|FREMM anti-submarine frigates]], replacing the {{sclass|Georges Leygues|frigate|4}}, but plans to buy a possible seventeen FREMMs were cut back to eleven and then to eight. The cancellation of the third and fourth Horizon destroyers meant that the last two FREMM hulls, which entered service between 2021 and 2023, are fitted out as FREDA air-defence ships to replace the {{sclass|Cassard|frigate|4}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.infosdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/LPM-DT.pdf |title=Projet De Loi De programmation Militarie 2014/2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924034916/http://www.infosdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/LPM-DT.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-24 |language=fr |date=August 2013}}</ref> DCNS has shown a FREMM-ER concept to meet this requirement, emphasising [[ballistic missile defence]] with the Thales Sea Fire 500 AESA radar.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=716 |title=DCNS to unveil new FREMM Frigate variant, updated BRAVE supply ship design at Euronaval 2012 |date=4 October 2012 |website=Navy Recognition }}</ref> Industrial considerations mean that the funds for FREMMs 9-11 are now being spent on five more exportable ''Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention'' ([[Defence and intervention frigate|''FDI'', "intermediate size frigates"]]) from 2024 to supplement, and ultimately replace, the ''La Fayette'' class, three of which are being upgraded with new sonars to operate into the early 2030s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/year-2015-news/may-2015-navy-naval-forces-defense-industry-technology-maritime-security-global-news/2747-update-to-french-military-planning-law-means-new-capabilities-for-lafayette-class-frigates.html |title=Update to French Military Planning Law Means New Capabilities for Lafayette Class Frigates |date=21 May 2015 |website=Navy Recognition }}</ref> With respect to support ships, the {{sclass|Durance|tanker|4}} are being replaced under the FLOTLOG project by up to four derivatives of Italy's {{sclass|Vulcano|logistic support ship|1}}, with three being delivered from 2023 to 2027.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/petrolier-ravitailleur-la-france-monte-a-bord-du-programme-italien-vulcano-781913.html | title=Pétrolier ravitailleur : la France monte à bord du programme italien Vulcano | first= Michel | last=Cabirol | date=15 June 2018 | newspaper=Le Tribune |language=fr}}</ref> A fourth potential ship is delayed until after 2030.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/defense/derniere-navigation-pour-le-bcr-marne-qui-passe-le-flambeau-au-brf-jacques-chevallier |title=Dernière navigation pour le BCR Marne, qui passe le flambeau au BRF Jacques Chevallier |work=Mer et Marine |language=fr |last=Groizeleau |first=Vincent |date=13 April 2023|access-date=13 April 2023}}</ref>

Construction has started on the first of six [[French Barracuda-class submarine|Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarines]]; commissioning of ''Suffren'' took place in 2020. These nuclear attack submarines are to be followed in the 2030s by the incremental introduction of a [[SNLE 3G|new class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines]] (SSBNs) whose construction began in 2024.

The first MM40 [[Exocet]] Block 3 missile was test-fired in 2010 to be produced. Naval versions of the [[Storm Shadow|''SCALP EG'']] land-attack cruise missile are under development, along with a planned [[Aster (missile family)|Aster Block 1NT]] with greater capabilities against ballistic missiles.

In October 2018, the French Ministry of Defence launched an 18-month study for €40&nbsp;million for the eventual future replacement of the aircraft carrier ''Charles de Gaulle'' beyond 2030. A decision to build the new carrier was taken by President [[Emmanuel Macron]] in 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/12/08/macron-kicks-off-french-race-to-build-a-new-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier/ |title=Macron kicks off French race to build a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier |work=DefenseNews |last=Mackenzie |first=Christina |date=8 December 2020 |access-date=29 August 2021}}</ref> and once it enters service it is anticipated to remain in service until beyond 2080.<ref>{{cite web |title=France starts study phase for new aircraft carrier |url=https://navaltoday.com/2018/10/24/france-starts-study-phase-for-new-aircraft-carrier/ |website=Naval Today |access-date=30 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024114822/https://navaltoday.com/2018/10/24/france-starts-study-phase-for-new-aircraft-carrier/ |archive-date=24 October 2018 |date=24 October 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Briganti, de |first1=Giovanni |title=France Launches Studies for New Aircraft Carrier |url=http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?shop=dae&modele=feature&prod=196961&cat=5 |website=Defense Aerospace |access-date=30 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030102139/http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cgi-bin/client/modele.pl?shop=dae&modele=feature&prod=196961&cat=5 |archive-date=30 October 2018 |location=Paris |date=24 October 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> Construction of the new carrier is to begin in around 2025 with service entry anticipated in the latter 2030s.

==French naval officers==
===Privateers===
* [[Lieutenant général des Armées navales]] [[Jean du Casse|du Casse]]
* [[Lieutenant général des Armées navales]] [[René Duguay-Trouin|Duguay-Trouin]]
* [[Chef d'escadre]] [[Jean Bart]]
* [[Chef d'escadre]] [[Pierre Bouvet]]
* [[Jacques Cassard|Cassard]]
* [[Robert Surcouf|Surcouf]]
* [[François Thurot|Thurot]]

===Heroes of the First Republic===
* [[admiral]] [[Louis-René Levassor de Latouche Tréville|de Latouche-Tréville]]
* [[Vice-admiral]] [[Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse|de Villaret-Joyeuse]]
* [[Vice-admiral]] [[Eustache Bruix|Bruix]]
* [[Rear Admiral]] [[Armand Blanquet du Chayla|du Chayla]]
* [[Capitaine de vaisseau]] [[Aristide Aubert du Petit Thouars|du Petit Thouars]]
* [[Capitaine de vaisseau]] [[Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca|Casabianca]]

===Explorers===
* [[Lieutenant général des Armées navales]] [[Louis Antoine de Bougainville|Bougainville]]
* [[Chef d'escadre]] [[Bruni d'Entrecasteaux|d'Entrecasteaux]]
* [[Chef d'escadre]] [[Jules Dumont d'Urville|Dumont d'Urville]]
* [[Chef de Division]] [[Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse|Lapérouse]]
* Captain [[Samuel de Champlain]]
* Captain [[Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville|d'Iberville]]
* Captain [[Nicolas Baudin]]
* Captain [[Louis-Claude de Saulces de Freycinet|Louis de Freycinet]]
* Commander [[Ernest Doudart de Lagrée|Doudart de Lagrée]]
* Lieutenant [[Louis Aleno de St Aloüarn|de St Aloüarn]]
* Lieutenant [[Francis Garnier]]
* Lieutenant [[Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza|Savorgnan de Brazza]]

===Other important French naval officers===
* [[Admiral]] [[Florent de Varennes]]—first admiral of France
* [[Admiral]] [[Jean de Vienne]]—admiral of the French fleet during the Hundred Years' War
* [[Admiral]] [[Hervé de Portzmoguer]]— Breton naval commander, renowned for his raids on the English and his death in the Battle of St. Mathieu
* [[Admiral]] [[Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing|d'Estaing]]—admiral of the French fleet which helped the United States secure independence
* [[Admiral]] [[François Joseph Paul de Grasse|de Grasse]]—commander of the French fleet at [[Battle of the Chesapeake|Chesapeake Bay]] during the American Revolutionary War.
* [[Admiral]] [[Amédée Courbet|Courbet]]-commander of the Far East Squadron.
* [[Vice-Admiral]] [[Anne Hilarion de Tourville|Tourville]]—commander of the French fleet at the [[Battle of Beachy Head (1690)|Battle of Beachy Head]]
* [[Vice-Admiral]] [[Pierre-Charles Villeneuve|Villeneuve]]—commander of the French and [[Spain|Spanish]] fleets at the [[Battle of Trafalgar]]
* [[Vice-Admiral]] [[Abraham Duquesne|Duquesne]]—commander of the French fleet at the [[Battle of Agosta]]
* [[Lieutenant commander]] [[Paul Teste]], pioneer of the modern aeronaval operations.
* [[Vice-Admiral]] [[Chevalier Paul|Jean-Paul de Saumeur]], often called Chevalier Paul, served in several Mediterranean campaigns.

===Notable people who served in the French Navy===
* [[Marcel Cerdan]], world boxing champion during the 1940s
* [[Jean Cocteau]], poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker
* [[Jean Cras]], composer
* [[Jacques-Yves Cousteau]]
* [[Philippe de Gaulle]], the son of the general [[Charles de Gaulle]]
* [[Alain Delon]], actor, served as a fusilier marin in the First Indochina War
* [[Bob Denard]], a mercenary notorious for coup attempts and wars in Africa
* [[Jean Gabin]], another major French actor, he joined the free French naval force during the Second World War
* [[Paul Gauguin]], painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer
* [[Bernard Giraudeau]], actor, film director, scriptwriter, producer and writer
* [[André Marty]], a leading figure in the French Communist Party from 1923 to 1955
* [[Albert II, Prince of Monaco]], reserve Lieutenant Commander
* [[Pierre Loti]], mostly known for his literary works
* [[Albert Roussel]], composer
* [[Michel Serres]], philosopher and author
* [[Eric Tabarly]], yachtsman
* [[Victor Segalen]], ethnographer, archaeologist, writer, poet, explorer, art-theorist, linguist and literary critic
* [[Eugène Sue]], a famous 19th-century novelist
* [[Paul Emile Victor]], an ethnologist and polar explorer

==See also==
{{Portal|France}}
* [[Future of the French Navy]]
* [[List of active French Navy ships]]
* [[List of French Navy ship names]]
* [[History of the French Navy from 1715 to 1789]]

===Marine nationale===
* [[Chief of Staff of the French Navy]]
* [[List of French Paratrooper Units|Airborne Units of the French Navy]]
* [[Escorteur]]
* [[Far East Squadron]]
* [[French 100 mm naval gun]]
* [[List of aircraft carriers of France]]
* [[List of escorteurs of France]]
* [[List of French naval battles]]
* [[List of Naval Ministers of France]]
* [[Standing French Navy Deployments]]
* [[:Category:French Navy admirals]]
* [[:Category:French Navy officers]]
* [[:Category:Naval ships of France]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group="Note"}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Main|History of the French Navy#Further reading}}
* Auphan, Paul, & Jacques Mordal. ''The French Navy in World War II'' (Naval Institute Press, 2016).
* Dull, Jonathan R. ''The French Navy and American Independence'' (Princeton University Press, 2015).
* {{cite book|first=E H|last=Jenkins|year=1973|title=A History of the French Navy from its Beginnings to the Present Day|publisher=Macdonald and Jane's|location=London|isbn=0356-04196-4}}
* {{cite book|first=Jean|last=Randier|year=2006|title=La Royale: L'histoire illustrée de la Marine nationale française|publisher=Babouji-MDV Maîtres du Vent |isbn=978-2-35261-022-9}}
* Winfield, Rif and Roberts, Stephen S., ''French Warships in the Age of Sail, 1626–1786: Design, Constructions, Careers and Fates'' (Seaforth Publishing, 2017) {{ISBN|978-1-4738-9351-1}}; ''French Warships in the Age of Sail, 1786–1861: Design, Constructions, Careers and Fates'' (Seaforth Publishing, 2015) {{ISBN|978-1-84832-204-2}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|French Navy}}

* {{in lang|fr}} [https://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine Marine nationale]—Official website
* {{in lang|en}} [http://fr.calameo.com/read/00033187617b5e26f6f56/ French Navy 2011]—Guide book
* {{in lang|en}} [http://fr.calameo.com/read/00033187619f879f74b63/ French Navy 2011]—Information file
* {{in lang|en}} [http://www.netmarine.net/ Net-Marine]—A well-documented database on the French Navy
* {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.meretmarine.com/ Mer & Marine]—Main website on French maritime affairs
* {{in lang|en}} [http://www.ffaa.net French Fleet Air Arm] (about French naval aviation)
* {{in lang|en}} [http://www.worldwar1atsea.net/WW1NavyFrench.htm French Navy in World War I] (including warship losses)

{{French Military}}
{{French Navy navbox}}
{{French Navy Vehicle}}
{{Allied Maritime Command}}
{{Navies in Europe}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:French Navy| ]]
[[Category:Military of France]]