The frigate is equipped with a helicopter landing pad located on the stern and a hangar. The ship is capable of operating the embarked Eurocopter AS565 Panther up to sea state 5. However, as late as 2021, Aérospatiale Alouette III helicopters were also being embarked, notably in the Pacific region. In 2022, the Eurocopter Dauphin N3 was earmarked to replace the Aérospatiale Alouette IIIs after the Alouette IIIs were withdrawn from service. The ship has a complement of 90 including the aircrew and officers and 24 marines with capacity for a further 13 personnel. Construction and career Vendémiaire was ordered as part of the third pair in January 1991 from Chantiers de l'Atlantique for construction at their yard in Saint-Nazaire, France, and the keel was laid down on 17 January 1992. The frigate was built using modular construction methods, which reduced the vessel's construction time. Vendémiaire was launched on 23 August 1992 and commissioned into the French Navy on 21 October 1993. Following sea trials, Vendémiaire sailed for Arsenal de Lorient, Lorient where the weapons and sensors were installed and underwent further trials. Vendémiaire was assigned to Nouméa, New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean. The frigate was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 20 September to 17 November 1999. The ship went on a tour of China in 2011, stopping at Hong Kong. Vendémiaire was opened to the public 17 April 2011 in Hong Kong. The ship visited the city again from 26 February to 2 March 2018, being opened for public tours. In October 2013 the vessel participated in the International Fleet Review 2013 in Sydney, Australia. From 1 to 3 June 2015, Vendémiaire performed French sovereignty missions to Matthew Island and Hunter Island. In 2015, following Cyclone Pam France ordered Vendémiaire to sail from Nouméa to Vanuatu to conduct surveys along with aircraft from the island territory. After the Cyclone Pam operations, Vendémiaire sailed to Wellington, New Zealand in April 2016 to take part in the ANZAC commemorations. In May 2016, the frigate stopped at Busan, South Korea for joint training with the Republic of Korea Navy. On 27 July 2017, the ship intercepted of cocaine from the sailing vessel Afalina off the coast of Tonga. From 17–21 February 2018, the frigate visited Incheon, South Korea, performing joint operations with the Republic of Korea Navy. On 6 April 2019, Vendémiaire sailed