Huge French warship FS Dixmude set to leave Portsmouth this week after rare stop in the city

Amphibious assault ship FS Dixmude arrived at Portsmouth Naval Base on Saturday morning.

The 16,500-tonne warship last visited the city in 2018 to loads troops and equipment for a military drill.

Her latest venture saw her taking on stores and offering sailors some rest and relaxation in Portsmouth.

Now, the ship is set to depart from Portsmouth tomorrow, after her brief six-day visit to the city.

The French vessel is expected to leave her mooring, heading towards outer spit buoy at 11am.

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Commissioned in 2012, the warship is capable of embarking a number of helicopters and amphibious forces.

At 653ft in length, she is almost 100ft longer than the Spinnaker Tower is tall.

But she is not as large as Britain’s two huge Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers which each weigh in at 65,000 tonnes and are about 920ft long.

In 2020 the Dixmude was supported by RFA Argus in the Caribbean as part of the international response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Working at a combined French, British and Dutch task force, the ships worked from Fort de France in Martinique to support islands.

The ship’s departure comes ahead of the arrival of the Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales.

The mighty 65,000-tonne warship – the biggest one ever built for the Senior Service – is expected to come back home shortly, although no official date has been given.

The vessel has been in the Arctic Circle, taking part in a major Nato drill near Norway.