INS Tushil (F70), a Talwar class frigate of the Indian Navy, tied up close to Tower Bridge whilst visiting London in December 2024.
French Navy Intelligence Ship A759 Dupuy de Lôme
On Monday 14th July 2025, the French Navy (Marine Nationale) Intelligence ship A759 Dupuy de Lôme sailed up the River Thames, through Tower Bridge and into the Pool of London in the heart of the capital city.
Almost completely painted white, the ship has a very unusual profile, it didn’t even have its name or pennant number anywhere that could obviously be seen.
Ships coming up the River Thames always have their AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders broadcasting their position so can be seen on the Marine Traffic website, but Dupuy de Lôme didn’t.
The French naval spy ship, with its two very distinctive huge “golf ball” domes amidships for monitoring equipment, entered service in 2006 and is named after Henri Dupuy de Lôme, a French naval architect (ship designer).
Dupuy de Lôme was purpose built to listen into, gather and analyse electromagnetic intelligence such as data transmissions and the electronic signature of military forces in the local area. It has undertaken this secret work on voyages to the world’s potential military flashpoints having been in the Baltic recently and in the Taiwanese Straits in 2021 collecting SIGINT (Signals Intelligence). SIGINT is used with other intelligence sources to build a picture of the capabilities of potential military adversaries.
Tugs VB Peter and VB Ambition from Boluda Towage guided A759 in. The tugs turned the navy ship around at Wapping Reach, less than two miles from Tower Bridge. Dupuy de Lôme was then taken before through Tower Bridge in reverse, stern first, to tie up alongside the museum ship HMS Belfast. The Port of London Authority launch Lambeth was in attendance making sure the French Navy ship had enough space to manoeuvre safely on the busy river.
More Navy Ship Posts
D37 HMS Duncan Leaving Portsmouth
On Monday 27th May 2024, the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer D37 HMS Duncan departed Portsmouth and headed out into the English Channel.
Tall Ship ARC Gloria Leaves London
ARC Gloria, flagship of the Colombian Navy, passing through Tower Bridge leaving London after visiting for a few days.
ARC Gloria and Juan Sebastián de Elcano
The 2024 London visit of tall ships ARC Gloria and Juan Sebastián de Elcano overlapped making a spectacular sight alongside each other.
U-27 NE Brasil’s 2024 London Visit
Brazilian Navy training ship U-27 ‘NE Brasil’ leaving her London moorings at HMS Belfast being guided down the River Thames.
Indian Navy Frigate F44 INS Tabar in London
On 11th August 2024, the Indian Navy frigate F44 INS Tabar passed through London’s Tower Bridge and was then turned at Wapping Reach on the River Thames to head downstream.
HNLMS Urk Minehunter M861 in London
The Royal Netherlands Navy Alkmaar class mine counter measures vessel HNLMS Urk M861 visiting London in September 2018.
Royal Navy Type 23 F81 HMS Sutherland
Royal Navy frigate F81 HMS Sutherland in the Pool of London on the morning of 14-May-2025 tied up alongside HMS Belfast.
