A successful first deployment for the supply ship Jacques Stosskopf
CV Sébastien Poulain takes command of the Jacques Stosskopf after the success of its inaugural five-month deployment.
A page has turned for the crew of the Force Replenishment Vessel (BRF) Jacques Stosskopf.
On July 22, during a ceremony presided over by Vice-Admiral Pierre de Briançon, Chief of Staff of the Force d'Action Navale, Captain (CV) Sébastien Poulain took command of the ship.
He succeeds Captain Sébastien Fajon, who was the first commander of this unit for 19 months, supervising its build-up from the shipyards to its first operational mission.
A first mission beyond expectations
The long-term deployment of the Jacques Stosskopf, planned for four months, demonstrated the exceptional capabilities of the new vessel. Setting sail on January 16, it only returned to Toulon on June 19, after five months at sea.
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This endurance allowed for its accelerated admission to active service on May 7, three months ahead of schedule.
The figures for this first mission are eloquent: 155 days at sea, more than 38,000 nautical miles traveled (nearly twice around the world) and around sixty replenishment at sea operations successfully completed. The vessel proved its robustness by sailing from the icy waters of the Arctic Circle to the tropical zones of the Equator, and by crossing the Cape of Good Hope, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Suez Canal.
Beyond navigation, the Jacques Stosskopf validated its military capabilities and versatility. Complex maneuvers were successfully carried out, such as an ammunition transfer at anchorage with the frigate Amiral Ronarc’h or replenishing the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle in the middle of a catapult phase.
The ship demonstrated its perfect interoperability by integrating into large-scale exercises and missions. It thus participated in the joint exercise ORION 26, served as a command platform for the JEANNE d'ARC 26 mission, and joined the carrier strike group (CTF473) during the LAFAYETTE 26 mission.
These deployments provided opportunities to multiply interactions with allied ships, notably British, Italian, Norwegian, and Dutch, thus affirming its key role within the Alliance.
A new experienced commander
CV Sébastien Poulain, who takes the lead of the BRF, brings with him a wealth of operational experience. He commanded the training ship Guépard and then the aviso PM L'Her, with which he was deployed in the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Guinea.
His career also includes shore-based positions, in the cabinet of the maritime prefect of the Atlantic, at the Centre d'Expertise pour les Programmes Navals (CEPN), and within the operational staff of the Marine nationale in Paris, where he headed the "Conduct of Operations" cell.
Before taking this new command, he was Chief of Staff of the Pôle Écoles Méditerranée. Captain Sébastien Poulain is a Knight of the Légion d’honneur, married, and father of three children.
Photo Marine nationale.