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Submarine Proliferation

France Current Capabilities

Capabilities | Import | Export

The French submarine fleet consists of nuclear-propelled attack (SSNs) and ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). The French Navy decommissioned its last Agosta-class diesel-electric boat in 1999 without plans to replace the class with newer diesel boats, despite recent advancements in the development of air independent propulsion systems.[1]  

There are six nuclear-powered Rubis/Améthyste-class attack boats on active duty, currently based at Toulon. Starting in 2005, they will be relocated to Brest. The class will be gradually decommissioned by 2012, and replaced with the newly developed Barracuda-class attack submarines, which are to begin entering service in 2010.[2] The attack boats' main task is the protection of France's SSBN force and carrier group via anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. In addition to traditional sea control and sea denial operations, its attack submarines are tasked with special forces deployment, surveillance and intelligence gathering, as well as missions against piracy, narcotics, and human trafficking.[2,3,4]

France's four SSBNs consist of two recent Le Triomphant- and two older Le Redoutable-class submarines, which are all based at Brest. Since 1991, two of an initial six Le Redoutable units have been decommissioned, and the remaining two are to be taken out of service by 2008-2010. While plans originally called for the procurement of six Le Triomphant-class vessels to replace these older units, in 1991 this number was decreased to four. The last two vessels of this project are expected to enter service by 2010-2012.[2] Since France decided to abolish its land-based missile deterrent during the past decade, its SSBN force maintains up to two submarines at sea at any one time.[5,6]

The French Navy's area of operation includes the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Indian Ocean. It also maintains a presence near the economic zones of its numerous overseas territories and former colonies, such as French Polynesia and New Caledonia in the South Pacific, the West Indies and French Guyana in the Caribbean Sea, Reunion Island and Mayotte in the South Indian Ocean, and Djibouti at the mouth of the Red Sea.[4]

The next generation of attack submarines, the Barracuda project, will incorporate experience gained in the operation of the Rubis/Améthyste-class units during the Kosovo and Afghanistan campaigns.[4] The new class will feature improved communication capabilities and, more importantly, an increased force-projection capability based on cruise missiles.[7] France and Britain have jointly developed the Storm Shadow/Scalp EG cruise missile, which can fulfill this force projection requirement due to its effectiveness against hardened targets and high level of accuracy.[8]

Sources:
Stephen Saunders, Jane's Fighting Ships 2002-2003 (Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group, 2003), p. 218.
A.D. Baker, Combat Fleets of the World, p. 203.
David Miller, The Illustrated Directory of Submarines of the World (St. Paul: MBI Publishing Company, 2002) pp. 408-411.
"Les forces sous-marines," French Defense Ministry Website, http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/navires/unites/fost/f_fost.htm.
 "SNLE-NG Le Triomphant," Net-Marine Website, http://www.netmarine.net/forces/fost/index.htm.

Sources:
Stephen Saunders, Jane's Fighting Ships 2002-2003 (Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group, 2003), p. 217.
A.D. Baker, Combat Fleets of the World, p. 203.
David Miller, The Illustrated Directory of Submarines of the World (St. Paul: MBI Publishing Company, 2002), pp. 406-409.
"Le Redoutable/L'Inflexible," Global Security Website, http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/france/images/redoutable.jpg.

Sources:
Stephen Saunders, Jane's Fighting Ships 2002-2003 (Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group, 2003), p. 216.
A.D. Baker, Combat Fleets of the World, p. 204.
David Miller, The Illustrated Directory of Submarines of the World (St. Paul: MBI Publishing Company, 2002), pp. 344-345.
"Sous-marin nucléaire d'attaque Rubis (S 601)," French Defense Ministry Website, http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/navires/sousmarins/rubis/f_present.htm.

Sources:
[1] Interview of Jean-Charles Lefebvre, Chief of Naval Staff, by Klaus Jacobsen, "The French navy in a phase of transition," Naval Forces, 1998, Vol. 19, No. 5, pp. 37-41.
[2] "Les forces sous-marines," French Defense Ministry Website, http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/navires/unites/fost/f_fost.htm.
[3] "Sous-marin nucléaire d'attaque type Rubis," French Defense Ministry Website, http://www.defense.gouv.fr/navires/fichnav/sna_ru-2.htm.
[4] "Maritime forces’ contribution to the major strategic functions," French Ministry of Defense, http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/anglais/present/dim/missions.htm.
[5] "France: Nuclear weapons," Global Security Website, http://www.globalsecurity.org.
[6] "Visite virtuelle sous-marin SNLE - Presentation," French Navy Website, http://www.defense.gouv.fr/visites_virtuelles/snle/index.htm.
[7] Interview with Jean-Louis Battet, Chief of Staff, by Wolfgang Legien, "French Navy - ready for the 21st century," Naval Forces, 2002, Vol. 23, No. 5, pp. 8-13; in ProQuest Information and Learning Company, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb.
[8] "Storm Shadow/Scalp EG/Conventionally armed stand off missile (CASOM)," Federation of American Scientists Website, http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/casom.htm.

This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2008 by MIIS.