Piriou awarded contract for 16 next-generation tugs for the French Navy

The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) has awarded Breton shipbuilder Piriou a contract for 16 next-generation harbour and coastal tugs (RP30NG). Featuring a 30-tonne bollard pull capacity, these new vessels will support operational manoeuvres for the French Navy across its naval bases.

Measuring 26 metres in length with a full-load displacement of 370 tonnes, the RP30NG design is derived from Piriou’s civil workboat range and customized for military requirements. The tugs will primarily facilitate harbour operations for nuclear-powered submarines and frontline surface combatants.

Engineered for extended missions up to 200 nautical miles from shore, the RP30NG vessels will also fulfill multi-mission roles for the French State at sea. These include firefighting, marine pollution control, maritime surveillance, and fisheries protection.

As the last remaining French shipbuilder producing tugs with over 30 tonnes of bollard pull, Piriou leverages modular engineering and fleet commonality to streamline lifecycle support and operational maintenance for the armed forces. This contract reinforces Piriou’s defense backlog alongside the ongoing Offshore Patrol Vessel (PH) program being built at its Concarneau yard.