Mistral class

A class of amphibious assault and command ships (BPC) able to operate up to 16 NH90 or Tiger helicopters and carry a Leclerc tank battalion, landing craft and hundreds of troops. Originally planned for export to Russia, two hulls were instead sold to Egypt after the 2014 Crimea sanctions blocked delivery.

In service since 2006 · 2 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

21,500

160

crew

Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

French export-licensed

CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.

Channel: DGA / direct commercial

Fielded & proven

Limited · 2 operators

In service since 2006. Status: active · ~3 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 199 m
Troop capacity Number of embarked troops/passengers (IFV, APC, transport). Higher carries more.: 450

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes — the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.: 21,500 t
Full-load displacement Displacement fully loaded with fuel, stores and munitions.: 23,542 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.: 19 kn

Bottom 1% of warships
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.: 160
Aircraft carried Embarked aircraft/helicopters. Higher extends the ship’s sensor and strike reach.: 16

Stronger than 74% of warships

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 3

Stronger than 41% of warships
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 2

Top 9% of warships

Specifications compiled from public Naval Group and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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