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Combattante FS56

The Combattante FS56, evolution of sea proven CMN Combattante III class, is a Fast Attack Long Range Craft, able to perform with a high level of efficiency the tasks required by a Patrol Missile Boat mission’s profiles. The FS56 is a development on the Combattante III class fast attack craft. The ship is 56 meters long and can reach a top speed of 38 knots. Alongside a surface-to-air missile launcher, the ship can be armed with a 76mm or 57mm main gun, up to two 30mm remote controlled side guns, and a surface-to-surface missile system.

These three boats were to be built by CMN for the Lebanese Navy using Saudi funding as part of the Donas joint Franco-Saudi-Lebanese program, also known as SFMC (Saudi-French Military Contract). To implement the program, in November 2014, an intergovernmental agreement was signed between France and Saudi Arabia on the allocation of the last 3 billion dollars as military-technical assistance to all three armed forces of Lebanon, with the order of the corresponding weapons and property in France. Additionally, Saudi Arabia in August 2014 promised to allocate $ 1 billion for the technical equipment of the Lebanese security forces.

For the Lebanese Navy, under this program, it was planned to build the three indicated large missile boats of the CMN Combattante FS 56 project, the contract for their construction was signed by the Saudi side at the end of 2015. Lebanon’s choice of CMN to order rocket boats was natural, since CMN has been controlled by the Safa group owned by Lebanese businessman Iskandar Safa since 1992.

However, in February 2016, Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of all agreements and contracts within the framework of the previously promised allocation of $ 4 billion to provide military assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces and Security Forces, which was caused by Riyadh's dissatisfaction with the domestic and foreign policies of the Lebanese government. Perhaps the Saudi side’s refusal to implement the Donas military assistance program for Lebanon was affected by the economic problems of Saudi Arabia due to the fall in world oil prices at that time.

As a result, Lebanon received only a small part of the $ 80 million worth of military equipment ordered in France, promised to Saudi funds. Since significant contracts under the Donas program were already concluded with French companies, the Saudi side gradually transferred the implementation of the part to them from the purpose of obtaining appropriate weapons and equipment by the Saudi armed forces.

In January 2018 Riyadh put into force the contract for the sale of three FS56 patrol boats manufactured by the Cherbourg shipyard, CMN. The amount of the order is estimated at 250 million euros. Initialed at the end of 2015, the contract for the sale of three FS56 patrol boats built by the Cherbourg shipyard, CMN (Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie) to the Saudi Navy was finally put into force recently (first deposit paid), according to several concordant sources. The contract is evaluated for these three combatant-type patrolmen at 250 million euros. Equipped with a missile launch system, these patrollers could be armed by Simbad-RC, a very short-range surface-to-air system from MBDA. To order the missiles, an addendum must still be negotiated and signed.

Initially, these three patrol boats were to equip the Lebanese navy as part of the Donas tripartite contract signed in 2014 between Saudi Arabia and ODAS, on behalf of Lebanon. In disagreement with Beirut, Riyadh finally decided to deliver to his army the materials ordered under the Donas contract, now called SFMC (Saudi-French Military Contract).

Despite the complicated relations between Saudi Arabia and France, Riyadh put into force the contract signed by CMN, owned by the businessman of Lebanese origin Iskandar Safa. This decision corresponds to a need of the Saudi Navy for these warships and to the strict application of the contract, whose execution continues under the control of ODAS, representing French interests in Riyadh.