Triomphant-class submarine

The 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 These four superseded the older Redoutable class, and they provide the ocean-based component (the Force océanique stratégique) of France's nuclear deterrent strike force, the Force de dissuasion (deterrence force). Their home port is Île Longue, Roadstead of Brest, Western Brittany.

Le Téméraire
Class overview
Name	Triomphant class
Builders	DCNS
Operators	French Navy
Preceded by	Redoutable class
Succeeded by	SNLE 3G[1]
Cost	€17.1 billion (2009) (equivalent to €20.5 billion in 2022)[2] for 4 units €3.1 billion (2009)[3] (equivalent to €3.7 billion in 2022)[2] for Le Terrible
Built	1986–2010
In commission	1997–present
Planned	4
Completed	4
Active	4
General characteristics
Type	Ballistic missile submarine
Displacement	12,640 tonne (surfaced) 14,335 tonne (submerged)
Length	138 m (453 ft)
Beam	12.50 m (41.0 ft)
Draught	10.60 m (34.8 ft)
Propulsion	K15 pressurized water reactor 150 MWth, LEU 7%;[4] with turboreductor pump-to-shaft system of 30,5 MW Power : 30,519 kW (40,927 hp) two emergency diesel-powered generators SEMT Pielstick 8PA4V200 SM (700 kW (940 hp)) auxiliaries.
Speed	Over 25 kn (46 km/h)
Range	Unlimited distance; 20–25 years
Test depth	Over 400 m (1,300 ft)
Complement	15 officers 96 sailors
Sensors and processing systems	Sonar DMUX 80 Sonar DUUX 5 Sonar DSUV 61B Very Low Frequency Racal Decca radar (navigation) SCC : SET (Système d'exploitation Tactique) : tactical operational system
Electronic warfare & decoys	ARUR 13
Armament	Nuclear: 16 M45 or M51 missiles with six to ten TN 75 150 kt[5][6] or TNO 100-300 kt thermonuclear warheads[7][8] Four 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes for F17 torpedoes and Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles, launchable while submerged

Design and construction

The first three boats were originally armed with the French-produced and armed M45 intermediate-range missile, and the fourth vessel, Le Terrible, tested and is equipped with the more advanced M51 missile.^[5] Each of the first three boats were retrofitted to the M51 missile standard, with the last M45 offloaded in 2016.^[9]

Next Generation Device-Launching Nuclear Submarine

Not to be confused with SNLE 3G.

In French, these are called Sous-Marin Nucléaire Lanceur d'Engins de Nouvelle Génération (English: "Next Generation Device-Launching Nuclear Submarine"), abbreviated as SNLE-NG. They have replaced all of the Redoutable-class 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.^[10] Initially armed with the M45 missile, they are designed to carry the new M51 missile, which entered active service in 2010. As of October 2010^[update], 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 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 Airbus Defence and Space), 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 Vanguard-class submarines), of which two are expected to be on patrol at any given time.

Name	Construction began	Launched	Commissioned
Le Triomphant	9 June 1986	26 March 1994	21 March 1997
Le Téméraire	18 December 1993	21 January 1998	23 December 1999
Le Vigilant	January 1996	19 September 2003	26 November 2004
Le Terrible	24 October 2000	21 March 2008	20 September 2010[11]

Service history

On 3 February or 4 February 2009, Le Triomphant collided with the Royal Navy submarine HMS Vanguard; 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.^[12] 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.^[12]

Gallery

• 
  Comparison of different nuclear systems: left, the SNLE (Redoutable type) with the M4 missile; right, the SNLE-NG (Triomphant type) with the M45 missile and the M51 missile.
• 
  Le Vigilant

See also

• List of submarines of France
• List of submarine classes in service
• Submarine forces (France)
• Future of the French Navy
• Submarine-launched ballistic missile