The pair, both built by Pierre Ozanne at Brest to the plans of Jacques-Noël Sané, were enlarged to carry an upper deck battery of 24-pounder long guns instead of the 18-pounders used on the standard ships of the Téméraire class.

On 13 December 1805, she departed Brest under captain Jérôme Bonaparte, as part of Willaumez division, to participate in what became the Atlantic campaign of 1806.

The 1806 Great Coastal hurricane scattered the division and Vétéran found herself isolated.

She cruised off Quebec, destroying merchantmen and skirmishing with Royal Navy forces.

She eventually returned to France and evaded the British blockade, entering Concarneau thanks to the experience of a sailor who had been a fisherman in the region.