Dixmude was delivered to the French defence procurement agency on 3 January 2012, three months ahead of schedule.[5]
Service history
In January 2013, Dixmude took part in Operation Serval, ferrying elements of the 92ème Régiment d'Infanterie to Mali.[6]
In April 2016, it was announced she would be part of the Anglo-French military exercise CJEX.[7]
In July 2018, the ship docked in Haifa port, Israel for a joint exercise with the Israeli Navy.[8]
In October 2018, a French NH90 crashed on takeoff when mooring lashing was left tied, and this damaged the flight deck.[9] The crash occurred at night, leaving 4 injured and 1 required medical evacuation.[9]
In April 2020, the ship operated as part of a joint British, French and Dutch naval task force in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in overseas territories in the Caribbean. RFAArgus was also present as the UK's commitment to supporting British Overseas Territories along with HMS Medway as the Caribbean guard ship.[10]
In February 2023, Dixmude was tasked to initiate an around the world deployment accompanied by the frigate La Fayette. The deployment was to involve a series of exercises and port calls en route, including at several French overseas territories. For the deployment, Dixmude embarked one of the new EDA-S landing craft, along with one EDA-R and one CTM landing craft.[11] The two vessels returned to Toulon in July.[12]
Moulin, Jean (2020). Tous les porte-aéronefs en France: de 1912 à nos jours [All the Aircraft Carriers of France: From 1912 to Today]. Collection Navires et Histoire des Marines du Mond; 35 (in French). Le Vigen, France: Lela Presse. ISBN978-2-37468-035-4.