The “Hook’em Award” was created by the US Navy in 1975 to reward NATO units that have excelled in anti-submarine operations and was presented to multi-mission frigates in 2020 and 2021 [FREMM] of the French Navy, who have demonstrated their skills particularly in operations in the Mediterranean.
At the moment, the winners of this award for 2022 are not known… But according to Admiral Pierre Vandier, Chief of Staff of the French Navy [CEMM]FREMMs, Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft and nuclear submarines [SNA]who was called regularly in Faslane [Écosse] have obviously achieved very good results in the fight against ASM in the past few months.
And this in a context characterized by the war in Ukraine … and therefore the presence of Russian submarines in the areas of interest has certainly increased, as the passage says GIUK [Groenland, Islande, Royaume-Uni]crucial for supply lines between North America and Europe.
Over the past year, the Navy has successfully conducted its operations while continuing to modernize. The coming year will be full of challenges. The commitment of all sailors, united as a crew and supported by their families, will make it possible to meet them. Happy New Year 2023! pic.twitter.com/O6I9Flv0dY
— Chief of Naval Staff (@AdmiralVandier) December 31, 2022
First, as part of his New Year’s wishes, Admiral Vandier insisted on emphasizing the readiness of the French Navy. “The year 2022 was not stingy with upheavals. The war in Ukraine, just a few sea days from mainland France, brought us into turbulent times,” he recalled. “In the face of this situation, you knew how to react perfectly. Their dedication and an outdated deployment preparation allowed the Carrier Battle Group’s mission to be refocused in a matter of tens of hours [Clemenceau 22, ndlr] to cope with this new context,” he added, addressing the sailors.
Were there also “interactions” with Russian submarines at that time? The CEMM does not specify this. “ASM Operations [anti-sous-marins] that have been carried out in the last few months are remarkable,” he emphasized without giving any further details. And they certainly have to be to be the subject of such a mention…
As a reminder: The FREMM [si c’est bien d’elles dont il s’agit] are equipped with the CAPTAS 4 system, consisting of a towed sonar with variable immersion [VDS] Type UMS-4249 emitting very low frequency waves [ATBF], a multifunctional towed linear antenna for locating and classifying possible targets, and a UMS 4110 type hull sonar emitting low-frequency waves. Not to mention their NH-90 Caiman NFH helicopter equipped with FLASH dive sonar and digital sonic buoys.