First dive into the sea of ​​Suffren, the new French nuclear submarine

Text by: Franck Alexandre

The brand new French attack nuclear submarine, the Suffren, made its first dive at sea this week, an additional milestone before its delivery to the French Navy.

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The 99 m long, 5,300 tonne black steel mastodon dived for the first time last Tuesday, April 28 in the English Channel, a dive that kicks off the sea trials at Suffren. From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, for long weeks the engineers and technicians of the manufacturer Naval group, those of the general armament and the commissariat for atomic energy will test the robustness and efficiency of the submarine before its delivery to the French Navy.

Because of coronavirus, all the personnel before boarding were put in preventive fortnight then tested with Covid-19.

If the tests are successful, the vessel will enter service in 2021. First in a class of six new nuclear attack submarines, the Suffren marks a technological advance, capable of diving more than 300 meters deep, it does little more noise than a shrimp school, while remaining very maneuverable…

Implemented by a crew of 65 men, its mission will be to protect precious buildings such as the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle, to track down enemy submarines, it will also be able to deploy special forces. The Suffren, a new offensive tool, will carry out 70-day missions, a range that is still far superior to that of the previous generation of attack submarines.

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• Defense
• France
• Nuclear

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