On Friday 19th April 2002 the French Navy Helicopter Carrier FS JEANNE D’ARC 97 together with the Georges Leygues Class Frigate FS GEORGES LEYGUES D 640 entered Grand Harbour for a diplomatic visit berthing at Pinto 4 and 5 wharves alongside each other with the helicopter carrier alongside berth.
R 97 had 6 Helicopters Embarked including 4 French Army Air Corps Helicopters with 2 Aerospatiale Gazelles in green and earth camouflage that carried ARMEE DE TERRE Titles – C-KS cn 4054 and C-XF cn 4060 both based at Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base which is a former United States Air Force base in France.
2 Aerospatiale (Sud Aviation) SA.330B Puma 1654/C-ZP cn 1634 in a sand and tan camouflage and carried ARMEE DE TERRE Titles –
While the other one, with a radar nose in green and earth camouflage as C-ZG –
There were also 2 x Sud Aviation 319B Alouette III helicopters of the French Navy Embarked – 302 cn 2302 and 314 cn 2314 –
Both Ships left Valletta on Tuesday 23rd April, 2002.
Watermarked Photos are by Capt. Lawrence Dalli. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com+
Published – Sunday 19th December, 2021
