About

CMN KSA HSI

A statement from Serge Quaranta

President and Chief Executive Officer of CMN

At CMN Naval, we firmly believe that our strength lies in the values we uphold and the meaning we attribute to our actions. This is why our mission is a collective commitment embraced by every organisation member—shareholders and employees alike. Together, we strive to ensure both industrial performance and the satisfaction of our customers.

We attribute our position as a global market leader to our ongoing pursuit of excellence and our unwavering commitment to fulfilling our promises to clients and partners.

Dans un monde maritime en constante évolution, contraint par des enjeux géopolitiques constituant autant de menaces que d’opportunités, CMN apporte dès aujourd’hui des solutions pour des lendemains plus sûrs et plus durables.

Serge Quaranta

The pioneering spirit is deeply embedded in our DNA—shared by our company and our teams—and is reflected in all our products and services. From the first aircraft to the latest vessels produced in our shipyards, our passion, audacity, and creativity have continually allowed us to develop innovative solutions for preserving and advancing the maritime sector.

A CMN product represents much more than just a product or service from a brand with a prestigious history, regardless of its location worldwide. The expertise and talent of our multicultural teams, combined with our firm commitment to the values we promote, are evident in our engagements with all our stakeholders, enabling us to provide relevant responses to current and future strategic maritime challenges.

This is precisely why our customers choose to collaborate with us and why our employees consistently demonstrate their loyalty.

Mission

Since 1946, CMN has been mastering the complexities of the most ambitious projects in Cherbourg, continually pushing the boundaries set by the sea.

CMN actively contributes to the energy transition by leveraging the potential of the oceans through its subsidiary HydroQuest, leader in the tidal energy industry. Our dedicated team—comprised of talented men and women—shares a commitment to excellence and the transfer of unique expertise, enabling us to imagine, develop, build, and market the most innovative and high-performing ships and related services worldwide.

Illustration représentant un navire CMN et un technicien qui parle dans un talkie-walkie

Vision

To constantly innovate to meet the increasing demands for protecting and promoting the world’s maritime environment, aiming to create a safer and more sustainable future.

Illustration qui représente deux hommes devant un panneau de contrôle

Values

Passion

Regardless of our roles, we all share a deep passion for the naval industry and the ocean. We are proud to share this enthusiasm with our customers and everyone joining our team to tackle new challenges.

Respect

At CMN, we view listening as a fundamental component of collective intelligence. We believe that a diversity of perspectives and experiences is a source of strength and is essential for effective collaboration. Mutual respect fosters a positive environment within the company. Any behavior that could harm an individual’s physical or mental well-being is unacceptable and always will be.

Illustration qui représente différentes types d'employés de CMN
Illustration qui représente un navire d'assaut

Solidarity

Solidarity has always been an integral part of our team. Taking responsibility and fulfilling commitments fosters trust and leads to excellence. This mutual support extends beyond the company and is deeply embedded in the local community.

Creativity

CMN’s strength lies in its ability to anticipate and address significant maritime challenges ahead. Bold new products, innovative operating methods, and fresh collaborations—nothing should limit our capacity for innovation.

Illustration qui représente
HSI32 KSA

Expertise

CMN relies on a team of dedicated women and men united by a shared commitment to excellence, dedicated to imagining, developing, building, and marketing the most innovative and high-performing ships and related services globally.

Design

CMN’s strength lies in its capacity to develop products from initial design to operational deployment. CMN’s Technical Department unites all the skills needed to design a product. Our naval architecture and design teams diligently work to ensure all our customers’ requirements are met.

Photo de deux ingénieurs devant un écran d'ordinateur
Photo du poste de pilotage d'un navire HSI

Integration

In addition to design, CMN has a Systems Department that integrates various navigation, communication and defense systems aboard a vessel, ensuring the coherence and reliability of the entire system architecture.

Production

One of the key aspects of CMN’s business model is its mastery of all the professions involved in constructing a vessel. The Production Department encompasses 14 specialities that collaborate to achieve a single goal, all working to achieve the same goal: building exceptional ships.

Photo d'un soudeur qui travaille
Photo d'un hélicoptère qui atterrit sur le pont d'un navire

Related services

In addition to construction and commissioning, CMN supports its clients through crew training and operational maintenance, ensuring vessel readiness and controlled operating costs.

History

Founded in Cherbourg in 1946 and deeply rooted in the legacy of its founder Félix Amiot, CMN has cultivated expertise in managing the complexities of the most ambitious projects, consistently pushing the boundaries imposed by the sea.

Aeronautical engineer Félix Amiot founded CMN

After the nationalization of his aeronautical company, where he had worked as an engineer, Félix Amiot shifted his career to shipbuilding. In 1946, he restructured his industrial group, creating Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie.

Félix Amiot began his journey in the naval industry by constructing wooden trawlers. A total of fifteen boats were built, starting with the first one, “Annie” launched on June 23, 1948.

At that time, CMN was already engaged in activities beyond shipbuilding, including providing over 10,000 transport wagons as part of the Marshall Plan and participating in the construction of France’s first nuclear power plants.

Felix Amiot
La Combattante

« La Combattante » is CMN’s flagship product in the global market

The early 1960s marked a turning point in the shipyard’s history by constructing the patrol vessel “ La Combattante ”. Ordered and operated by several navies, this vessel enabled the French Navy to test its first sea-to-sea missiles.
This ship was the first in a generation of high-speed missile-launching craft equipped with comprehensive weapon systems: the “ Combattante II ” and subsequently the “ Combattante III ”. Their propulsion system, featuring four propellers powered by high-speed diesel engines, enabled them to exceed 40 knots.
Around 90 ” Combattantes ” were delivered worldwide between the 1960s and the mid-1980s.

The Transformation of the Shipyard

In the 1990s, CMN launched a new ” Combattantes BR ” series. The design of this high-speed craft resulted from an extensive research program focused on developing exceptionally fast and stable hulls. This was followed by the Baynunah-class corvette program, which involved the construction of six ” Combattantes BR. ” in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates Navy and Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB). The notable feature of this corvette is that it incorporates a defense system typically found on larger ships and can accommodate a 4-tonne helicopter.

Promoting Innovation and Development to Deliver Cutting-Edge Products

Throughout this period, the shipyard focused on innovation and development, creating a new type of vessel: the DV15 interceptor, measuring 15 meters in length and capable of exceeding 50 knots.

Intercepteur DV15

In 2012, two new products were launched to respond to the current issues of territorial protection:

In 2015, in line with this commitment, CMN’s engineering department presented the “ Landing Craft Tank ”, a large vessel designed to transport resources and equipment thanks to its “ Roll-on / Roll-off ” functionality.
More recently, CMN undertook a significant challenge regarding innovation and performance by transforming an interceptor into an autonomous vessel, making it the fastest in its category.
The CMN shipyard is currently engaged in several large-scale programs to build naval vessels, as well as specific projects such as the TARA polar station.