The French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) took delivery of the fourth Metropolitan Offshore Support & Assistance Vessel (BSAM) on July 4th. Ordered in 2016 for the French Navy, the BSAM Garonne is the final ship of a class designed and built by Kership.

The BSAM is an extremely versatile ship. The first BSAM, the Loire, operates from Toulon; the second ship of the class, the Rhone, operates from Brest. The third unit, the Seine, which will enter active service in July is based in Toulon.

Loire-class vessels can conduct a wide range of support missions.They have a towing capacity of 80 tons of traction, a navigation speed of 14 knots and a significant endurance of about 30 days (without refueling). They are fitted with an 8 meters boat, several RHIBs and a crane for loading and unloading containers.