January 15, 2006: France has put into service a new SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) ship. The Dupuy de Lôme was turned over to the French navy in December, 2005. It replaced a converted freighter, the Bougainville, which has been in service since 2000. The Dupuy de Lôme cost $148 million, and contains much better electronics. SIGINT ships collect and analyze electronic signals broadcast by aircraft, ships and coastal installations of other nations. Such information can tell much about the capabilities of such equipment, and provide a sound basis for developing methods to defeat this equipment (radars, sonars, radios and so on.) Most modern navies have at least one SIGINT ship, and major fleets, like the United States, have several.