Llynges Frenhinol Gymreig - Royal Welsh Navy (Welsh History Post Glyndwr)

The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale (National Navy) and often called La Royale&lt;ref&gt;&lt;/ref&gt; is the maritime arm of the French military. It consists of a full range of vessels, from patrol boats to guided missile frigates, and operates one nuclear aircraft carrier and ten nuclear submarines (four of which are submarine-launched ballistic missile–capable (SNLEs)). The motto of the French Navy is Honneur, Patrie, Valeur, Discipline ("Honour, Fatherland, Valour, Discipline"). These words are found on the deck of every ship of the Navy.

History
The French navy is affectionately known as La Royale ("the Royal"). The reason is not well known; some theorise that it is for its traditional attachment to the French monarchy, some others said that before to be named "nationale", the Navy had be named "royale" or simply because of the location of its headquarters, "rue Royale" in Paris. The navy did not sport the royal titles common with other European navies like the British Royal Navy.

Fleet Construction Between the World Wars
==Second World War====

Branches
The Navy is organised in five branches:
 * The "Force d'Action Navale" ("Naval Action Force"), surface fleet
 * The "Forces Sous-marines" ("Submarine forces"), strategic nuclear deterrent fleet based at Île Longue
 * The "Aviation Navale" ("Naval air force"), ground and sea-based planes and helicopters
 * The "Fusiliers Marins" ("Naval fusiliers", ground forces used to secure naval installations) and "Commandos de Marine" (amphibious assault and other special operations), collectively known as FORFUSCO.* The "Gendarmerie maritime", police operations and coast guard

Note that the Troupes de Marine ("Naval Troops"), which comprise the Régiments d'Infanterie de Marine (the famous elite RIMa) are the modern name of the Troupes Coloniales ("Colonial Troops"), and are not part of the Navy, but of the Army.

Ships
French naval doctrine calls for two aircraft carriers, but the French only have one, the Charles de Gaulle. The order for the Future French aircraft carrier based on the design of the British Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier (under construction as of 2009) has been delayed several times for budgetary reasons, priority being given to the more easily exportable FREMM project; the decision on whether to build the second carrier has now been delayed until 2012.

The navy is in the midst of major technological and procurement changes; newer submarines have been ordered as well as new jet fighters, the Dassault Rafales.

Currently (2009) major ships in service are:
 * 1 aircraft carrier (Charles de Gaulle),
 * 1 helicopter cruiser (Jeanne d'Arc)
 * 2 amphibious assault ships of the The Mistral type
 * 2 Landing Platform Dock of the Foudre type
 * 13 destroyers (officially classified as frigates)
 * 11 frigates
 * 9 corvettes (classified as "aviso")
 * 4 ballistic missile submarines
 * 6 nuclear attack submarines

Aircraft
Currently (2009) aircraft in service are :

Shipborne aircraft
 * 41 Super Etendard (11F,17F)
 * 28 Rafales (12F)* 3 E-2 Hawkeye (4F)

Maritime patrol aircraft* 22 Atlantique 2 (21F,23F)

Surveillance aircraft
 * 5 Falcon 200 "Gardian" (25F)* 4 Falcon 50 M (24F)

Support and training
 * 6 Falcon DA 10 (57S)
 * 11 Xingu (24F,28F)
 * 7 Cap 10 (50S)* 9 MS88 Rallye (50S)

Helicopters

ASW* 26 HAS.2 Lynx (31F,34F)

ASuW* 16 AS 365 Panther (36F)

Rescue
 * 11 SA 365 Dauphin (35F)* 8 SA 321 Super-Frelon (32F)

Support and training* 26 SA 3160 Alouette III (35F,22S)

Bases
As of 2009, the naval bases in use are :

Ranks of the National Navy
The following are the ranks of the French National Navy, showing the French rank, the English translation, and the equivalent in the Royal Navy and the English language rank system of the Canadian Navy.

Officers
{| width="100%" !width="16%" align="center" |French Rank (in French) !width="16%" align="center" |French Rank (in English) !width="16%" align="center" |Equivalent RN Rank !width="16%" align="center" |Equivalent USN Rank
 * align="center" |Amiral
 * align="center" |Admiral
 * align="center" |Admiral
 * align="center" |Admiral
 * align="center" |Vice-amiral d'escadre
 * align="center" |Squadron Vice-Admiral
 * align="center" |Vice-Admiral
 * align="center" |Vice-Admiral
 * align="center" |Vice-amiral
 * align="center" |Vice-Admiral
 * align="center" |Rear Admiral
 * align="center" |Rear Admiral Upper Half
 * align="center" |Contre-amiral
 * align="center" |Counter Admiral
 * align="center" |Commodore
 * align="center" |Rear Admiral Lower Half
 * align="center" |Capitaine de vaisseau
 * align="center" |Ship-of-the-Line Captain
 * align="center" |Captain
 * align="center" |Captain
 * align="center" |Capitaine de frégate
 * align="center" |Frigate Captain
 * align="center" |Commander
 * align="center" |Commander
 * align="center" |Capitaine de corvette
 * align="center" |Corvette Captain
 * align="center" |Lieutenant-Commander
 * align="center" |Lieutenant-Commander
 * align="center" |Lieutenant de vaisseau
 * align="center" |Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant
 * align="center" |Lieutenant
 * align="center" |Lieutenant
 * align="center" |Enseigne de vaisseau de première classe
 * align="center" |Ship-of-the-Line Ensign First Class
 * align="center" |Sub-Lieutenant
 * align="center" |Lieutenant, junior grade
 * align="center" |Enseigne de vaisseau de deuxième classe
 * align="center" |Ship-of-the-Line Ensign Second Class
 * align="center" |Acting Sub-Lieutenant
 * align="center" |Ensign
 * align="center" |Aspirant
 * align="center" |Aspirant
 * align="center" |Midshipman
 * align="center" |Midshipman|}
 * align="center" |Lieutenant, junior grade
 * align="center" |Enseigne de vaisseau de deuxième classe
 * align="center" |Ship-of-the-Line Ensign Second Class
 * align="center" |Acting Sub-Lieutenant
 * align="center" |Ensign
 * align="center" |Aspirant
 * align="center" |Aspirant
 * align="center" |Midshipman
 * align="center" |Midshipman|}
 * align="center" |Midshipman
 * align="center" |Midshipman|}

Majors

 * Major is equivalent to a Royal Navy Warrant Officer 1.

Officers mariniers / Non-commissioned Officers

 * Maître principal, in English: "Principal Master", is equivalent to a Royal Navy Warrant Officer 2 or the US Navy's Master Chief Petty Officer.
 * Premier maître, in English: "First Master", is equivalent to a Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer
 * Maître, in English: "Master", is equivalent to a Royal Navy Petty Officer.* Second-maître, in English: "Second Master", is equivalent to a Royal Navy Petty Officer, but more junior.

Militaires du rang (équipage)- Junior ranks

 * Quartier-maître de première classe, in English: "Quarter-master First Class" is equivalent to a Royal Navy Leading Seaman
 * Quartier-maître de deuxième classe, in English: "Quarter-master Second Class" is equivalent to a Royal Navy Able Seaman
 * Matelot breveté, in English: "Certified Mate", is equivalent to a Royal Navy Ordinary Seaman

Prefixes
(such as the Royal Navy uses HMS, for instance). .