French shipyards are benefiting from a sharp increase in military orders as the country’s naval defense sector prepares for the Euronaval defense exhibition in Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis. The industry is reportedly operating at an unprecedented level, prompting manufacturers to adapt their organization to meet demand.
At the port of Concarneau in Finistère, two next-generation minehunters were moored near the harbor master’s office on October 6. The Brugge is being built for the Belgian Navy, while its sister ship, Ijmuiden, is intended for the Netherlands. A third vessel from the same Belgian-Dutch program was being completed in the dry dock nearby.
The Piriou shipyard, which is constructing the vessels, has another military ship ready to take the place of the current project as soon as it is launched. The situation reflects the company’s growing focus on defense work after decades of serving the fishing and passenger transport industries.
Founded in Concarneau in 1965 by brothers Guy and Michel Piriou, the company has seen its business shift toward naval defense over the past five years. The change is part of a broader movement across France’s shipbuilding sector, driven by a global military buildup at sea. The original report links that trend to the war in Ukraine and, more recently, conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.
Sources: Le Monde Économie.