Triomphant-class submarine
{{short description|French class of ballistic missile submarines}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
The {{langr|fr|Triomphant}} class of ballistic missile submarines of the French Navy is the active lead boat class of four boats that entered service in 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2010. These four superseded the older {{sclass|Redoutable|submarine|4||1967}}, and they provide the ocean-based component (the Force océanique stratégique) of France's nuclear deterrent strike force, the Force de dissuasion ({{gloss|deterrence force}}). Their home port is Île Longue, Roadstead of Brest, Western Brittany.
Design and construction
The first three boats were originally armed with the French-produced and armed M45 intermediate-range missile, and the fourth vessel, {{ship|French submarine|Le Terrible|S619|2}}, tested and is equipped with the more advanced M51 missile. Each of the first three boats were retrofitted to the M51 missile standard, with the last M45 offloaded in 2016.{{cite journal |last1=Kristensen |first1=Hans |last2=Korda |first2=Matt |date=7 January 2019 |title= French nuclear forces, 2019 |journal=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists |volume=75 |issue=Special Issue: Spotlight on Nuclear Modernization |pages=51–55 |doi=10.1080/00963402.2019.1556003 |bibcode=2019BuAtS..75a..51K |s2cid=151142543 |doi-access=free }}
Next Generation Device-Launching Nuclear Submarine
{{distinguish|SNLE 3G}}
In French, these are called {{lang|fr|Sous-Marin Nucléaire Lanceur d'Engins de Nouvelle Génération}} {{gloss|Next Generation Device-Launching Nuclear Submarine}} abbreviated as SNLE-NG. They have replaced all of the {{sclass|Redoutable|submarine (1967)|0}} boats, with the last of those six boats being decommissioned in 2008. These submarines carry 16 submarine-launched ballistic missile launching tubes apiece.
This class reportedly produces approximately 1/1000 of the detectable noise of the Redoutable-class submarines, and they are ten times more sensitive in detecting other submarines.{{Cite web|url=http://www.netmarine.net/bat/smarins/triompha/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140521212804/http://www.netmarine.net/bat/smarins/triompha/index.htm|url-status=dead|title=Le Triomphant|archive-date=21 May 2014|access-date=7 January 2020}} Initially armed with the M45 missile, they are designed to carry the new M51 missile, which entered active service in 2010. {{As of|2010|10}}, an M51 has been test-fired from one of these submarines across the Atlantic Ocean from near France to the west, and is equipped on {{langr|fr|Le Terrible}}.
These boats were all constructed by the DCNS, and they carry an armament of 16 M45 SLBM or M51 SLBM missiles manufactured by the Aérospatiale company (now ArianeGroup), plus conventional torpedoes and Exocet anti-ship missiles.
List of submarines
The French Navy's goal is to operate a force of four ballistic missile submarines (comparable with the Royal Navy's {{sclass|Vanguard|submarine|2}}s), of which two are expected to be on patrol at any given time.
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ List of {{lang|fr|Triomphant}}-class submarines |
| scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Construction began ! scope="col" | Launched ! scope="col" | Commissioned |
|---|
| scope="row" | {{ship|French submarine|Le Triomphant|S616|2}}
|9 June 1986||26 March 1994||21 March 1997 |
| scope="row" | {{ship|French submarine|Le Téméraire|S617|2}}
|18 December 1993||21 January 1998||23 December 1999 |
| scope="row" | {{ship|French submarine|Le Vigilant|S618|2}}
|January 1996||19 September 2003||26 November 2004 |
| scope="row" | {{ship|French submarine|Le Terrible|S619|2}}
|24 October 2000||21 March 2008||20 September 2010{{cite web |url=http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/a-la-une/le-terrible-entre-en-service-actif |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801040754/http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/a-la-une/le-terrible-entre-en-service-actif |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 August 2012 |title=Le Terrible entre en service actif |date=1 October 2010 |publisher=Ministry of Defense (France) |access-date=1 October 2010}} |
Service history
On 3 February or 4 February 2009, {{langr|fr|Le Triomphant}} collided with the Royal Navy submarine {{HMS|Vanguard|S28|6}}; the Royal Navy boat received damage to the outer casing in the area of the missile compartment on the starboard (right) side and suffered very visible dents and scrapes.{{cite news|title=Nuclear subs collide in Atlantic|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7892294.stm | date=16 February 2009|access-date=5 June 2016 | publisher=BBC News}} {{langr|fr|Le Triomphant}} was reported to have proceeded to Brest under her own power, submerged, but with damage to her active sonar dome under her bow.
Gallery
File:Snle-snle-ng-svg.svg|Comparison of different nuclear systems: left, the SNLE (Redoutable-class submarine (1967) type) with the M4 missile; right, the {{abbr|SNLE-NG|Sous-Marin Nucléaire Lanceur d'Engins de Nouvelle Génération}} ({{langr|fr|Triomphant}} type) with the M45 missile and the M51 missile.
File:SNLE-NG.jpeg|{{langr|fr|Le Vigilant}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Le Triomphant class submarines}}
{{Triomphant class submarine|state=uncollapsed}}
{{French Navy Vehicle}}
{{SSBN classes in service}}
Category:Nuclear-powered submarines