French Navy – Submarines

French Navy Submarines

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Ballistic Missile Nuclear-Powered Submarines (SSBN)

Check out our 2022 comparative overview post on World ballistic missile boats.

Triomphant Class LOA 453′ / 138.1 m TDISP 14,350 tons submerged (4 active, service since 1997) 16 MIRV-equipped SLBM tubes/boatTriomphant SSBN Brest 2018

Redoutable Class LOA 420′ / 128 m TDISP 8,000 tons submerged (6 built, all retired, 1 preserved). 16 MIRV-equipped SLBM tubes/boat. Five of the decommissioned submarines have been taken to Cherbourg and dismantled, which as a process involves removing the 700 ton reactor/fuel compartment fully in the nearby drydock, and reattaching the submarine halves and refloating the hulk. This hulk is about 395′ long that is ready for final deconstruction. This is visible as the missile compartment fairing lines no longer taper. The process is explained at the French government site: https://www.defense.gouv.fr/dga/equipement/dissuasion/dismantling-of-nuclear-powered-ships

Schéma_sous-marin_SNLE_Le_Redoutable_en_coupe
Plan for the Redoutable class SSBN. See wiki link for the description of spaces. Credit: Pline, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Redoutable S-611 (1971 – 1991) Museum boat since 2002, Cherbourg-Octeville in purpose built drydockRedoutable SSBN museum Cherbourg 2018

Redoutable SSBN decommed Cherbourg 2013Redoutable SSBNs (shortened) decommed Cherbourg 2013

Attack Submarines

Agosta Class LOA 220′ / 67.1 m TDISP 1760 tons submerged. DCNS designed submarines. Service with France (4 boats, all retired), Spain (4 boats, 1 possibly still in service), Pakistan (2 active), and Malaysia (as training boat).

Ouessant S-623 (1978-2001) transferred to Royal Malaysian Navy as a training boat (2005-2009) On display Klebang Malacca as a museum boat since 2009.

Ouessant agosta class MELAKA_SUBMARINE
Ouessant at the Submarine Museum, Klebang, Malacca, ca. 2017. Credit:Aimi zulkeple, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Ouessant agosta class SS Klebang Malacca 2017

Daphné class LOA 190′ / 57.9 m TDISP 1,050 tons submerged (11, 2 lost, rest retired, 1 preserved)

Flore S-645 (1964 – 1989) Museum boat, Lorient.Flore Daphne class SS Lorient 2018

Aréthuse class  LOA 163′ / 49.7 m TDISP 670 tons submerged (4, all retired, 1 preserved)

Argonaute S-636 (1958 – 1982) Museum boat at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, Paris since 1991Argonaute Sub Paris 2016

Naïade-class LOA 78′ / 23.8 m TDISP 74 tons submerged (20, all retired ca. 1914, 1 preserved)

Alose Q-33 (1904 – 1914)  sunk as target 1918, wreck discovered in 1975 and raised the next year, now a museum boat at Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises in Marseille Alose Marseille 2018.jpg

French Navy – Amphibious Warfare Ships

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