The Dixmude helicopter carrier of the French Navy is to leave the Toulon naval base on Friday to join the Antilles-Guyana zone, where it will provide logistical support in order to fight the Covid-19 epidemic, the maritime prefecture said on Thursday.
"The departure of Diksmuide is scheduled for tomorrow (Friday), it must take about 13 days to arrive in the area," said frigate captain Christine Ribbe, spokeswoman for the maritime prefecture in Toulon. "Depending on the evolution of the epidemic", the military ship will first sail off Guyana or, on the contrary, to the French Antilles.
A way to offload hospitals in the area
There, the boat will not be used to accommodate patients of the Covid-19 but can, if necessary, offload hospitals in the area by taking care of "classic" patients, said another military source.
Diksmuide takes on board four helicopters (two from the army, one from civil security and one from the gendarmerie), which can be mobilized among other things for medical evacuations, but also medical equipment, including masks and a scanner, and at least one fire truck, according to the maritime prefecture. In total, it will transport nearly 120 tonnes of freight, including 4.5 tonnes of medical freight and 58 tonnes of food freight (water, rations, food).
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