DCNS (company) - History

History

DCNS has a heritage of 350 years. Major shipyards were built in France in Ruelle (1751), Nantes-Indret (1771), Lorient (1778) and, subsequently, in Cherbourg (1813). Others were to follow. As early as 1926, what we know as DCNS today already had all the facilities now owned by the Group in mainland France.

• During the Second World War, the French government had its military ships designed and built by the Direction des constructions navales (DCN), later incorporated into the military procurement agency Délégation générale pour l'armement (DGA).

• In 1997, the French government decided to reform its shipbuilding and procurement system for naval systems. Design and procurement were separated from production. DCN retained the industrial part.

• Also in 1997, a criminal inquiry was launched into what the BBC has described as “one of France's biggest political and financial scandals of the last generation a trail of eight unexplained deaths, nearly half a billion dollars in missing cash and troubling allegations of government complicity” concerning the sale of ships to Taiwan in 1991 but continued into the 21st century.

• In 2000, DCN was transformed into a national service under the direct responsibility of the Minister of Defence, no longer under DGA. In 2001 the French government announced plans to transform DCN into a private company.

• In 2002, DCN and Thales established the joint company Armaris to exploit their combined capabilities. This collaboration improved DCN's weapons systems portfolio and increased Thales' business in shipbuilding. Armaris owns 50% of Horizon SAS, the development agency for the French/Italian Horizon frigate programme and 50% of EuroSysNav SAS, the primary contractor for the Horizon's combat system (including DCN's SYLVER launcher). Thales is at present working with BAE Systems on the contract for the Royal Navy's Future Carrier (CVF) and submitted a bid for the future French carrier in competition with DCN. However, in June 2002 DCN and Thales extended their collaboration by announcing that they will share the role of primary contractor for the French carrier project.

• On 29 March 2007, DCN and Thales finalised an agreement with the French government and consolidated their naval activities in France. DCN acquired all of Thales' French naval business, excluding its equipment activities, and became the sole shareholder of Armaris and MOPA2. Simultaneously, Thales acquired a 25% stake in DCN along with the French government, which retained a 75% stake.

The acronym DCN has been replaced by the brand DCNS.