France Navy Orion Retired

Withdrawn from French Navy service during 2023 after 37 years. The vessel's last underway was reported in June 2023, but no formal decommissioning date was published by the navy. Laid down on 17 August 1981, launched on 6 February 1985 and commissioned on 14 January 1986, Orion was one of ten French Tripartite-class minehunters, known in French service as the Éridan class. The type is being replaced under the Système de lutte anti-mines futur (SLAM-F) programme, which substitutes crewed minehunters with autonomous surface and underwater systems. Her retirement followed that of Cassiopée in July 2022.