TheSubmarine Forces of France (French:Forces Sous-Marines,pronounced[fɔʁssumaʁin],FSM) are one of the four main components of theFrench Navy. The force oversees all French submarines regardless of role.
The headquarters staff is an independent command made up of two prime components:[1]
French submarine forces comprise over 4,000 military and civilian personnel of which an estimated two thousand are submariners.
The FrenchGénéral Naval Officer (French:L'Officier général de marine), theAmiral (Admiral) Commandant of the Strategic Oceanic Force (French:Commandant la Force Océanique Stratégique, ALFOST), commands the submarine forces, under the authority of theChief of Staff of the French Navy (French:Chef d'Etat-Major de La Marine).
The firstsubmarine not to use human propulsion wasFrench submarine Plongeur (2) of theFrench Imperial Navy (French:Marine Impériale Française), was launched in 1863, and was equipped with a compressed-air motor, supplied by twenty-three tanks of compressed air pressurised to 180 psi (1,200 kPa).
In 1888,Gymnote was the first submarine equipped with specific metal[clarification needed] batteries.Gymnote would be followed byMorse in 1899 and then theFarfadet-class series in 1901. Their range was 100 miles (160 km).
In June 1900,Narval introduced adouble hull, with an internal hull outside thepressure hull. During this period, France was the first navy to have a substantial submarine force. These 200-ton submarines had a range of over 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) surfaced and 10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) submerged.Aigrette, launched 1904, offered further improvement by running a diesel motor while surfaced. Seventy-six submarines were completed by 1914.
At the beginning ofWorld War I in August 1914, theFrench Navy fielded 72 submarines essentially to defend her coastlines, of which 50 units were at sea. During the conflict orders were placed for a further 90 with almost 70 launched by 1918. Fifty-nine of these boats conducted more than 1,300 sorties, fourteen of those were lost in the conflict (twelve in theMediterranean). Among the boats lost wereCurie which wasscuttled during a tentative attack on the base ofPula in December 1914, and would be refitted by theAustro-Hungarian Navy andFoucault, sunk in a bombardment byflying boats of the Austro-Hungarian Navy at the naval base ofKotor on 15 September 1915, was the first submarine to be sunk in an aerial attack.
At the end of the war, France received 46U-boats from theImperial German Navy in reparations but most were scrapped between 1922 and 1923 following the signature of theWashington Naval Treaty.
In 1922, French submarine forces counted 48 boats, all constructed after 1911. On 1 January 1930, France had the most powerful submarine fleet in the world with 110 units totaling 97,875 tons in service, construction or in authorized commission. However, the French naval construction witnessed set-backs in perfecting the submarines production (certain setbacks were witnessed as the level of maintenance for instance) and were classified as various initiatives, categorizing the submarines on a general scale while sharing the same characteristics (same dimensions, displacement, armament and other features). In any case, the French differentiated their submarines by their displacement: 600–, 1100–, and 1500-ton types. Accordingly, several classes of submarines were constructed for the years 1921–1931, out of which the most prominent were:
At the declaration ofWorld War II in September 1939, France had 77 submarines out of which 47 had been launched in the previous ten years and 19 submarines under construction. Asubmarine depot ship, theJules Verne, had been in service since April 1932. The French Navy had nine submarines of the 1200 tons type, 29 units of the1500 tons type (Prométhée andPhénix had been lost accidentally in 1932 and 1939); 38 vessels of the 600 tons type (Ondine was lost in 1928 andNymphe was condemned in 1938) plus sixminelaying submarines of theSaphir class and thecruiser submarineSurcouf, which displaced 3,300 tons, being the largest submarine in the world at that time.
At theArmistice of 22 June 1940, 602 type 550mm and 187 type 400mm torpedoes along with 332naval mine types were available in a French port and elsewhere inFrench possessions.
Following the defeat during theBattle of France, only three submarines joined theFree French Naval Forces in 1940,Rubis,Narval (sunk by a naval mine on 21 December 1940), andSurcouf (sunk accidentally or by misunderstanding during the night of 18 and 19 February 1942).
One submarine was sunk during theNorwegian Campaign and subsequently several French submarines under the command of theVichy government were sunk or damaged by theAllies in various combats taking place in theFrench colonial empire. During theBattle of Dakar in September 1940 two submarines of the Vichy regime were sunk butBévéziers damaged abattleship. Three submarines includingBéveziers, were lost in May 1942 during theBattle of Madagascar. During theScuttling of the French fleet in Toulon five submarines, includingCasabianca managed to exit the base atToulon.
The attack summary of French submarine torpedoes during the Second World War was:
The submarines undertook numerous unconventional operations including dropping agents, forces of the resistance and materials in occupied Europe and the Casabianca played an important role in theliberation of Corsica by transporting special forces personnel. On 1 January 1945, France had eight submarines of the first class, twenty submarines of the second class of which four were lent by the United Kingdom, one minelaying submarine and one depot ship for submarines. On 8 May 1945, nineteen vessels were in active service of which nine were operational (three lent by the United Kingdom). On 1 January 1946 the personnel were reduced to 700 men.
Following theGerman surrender, France received a total of eighty-five former German vessels, which included six combat submarines, fourmidget submarines (in service until 1954) as well as an Italian coastal submarine. Only four out of them were placed on permanent active duty, with the French Navy includingRoland Morillot which was in service until 1967.
The reconstruction phase started with research at the end of the conflict including assimilating the advanced techniques and tactics of World War II. Five submarines of theAurore class whose construction was interrupted in 1940 were commissioned and served into the 1960s.
During the years 1970/1980, the diesel submarines were spread in the Submarines Squadron of the Atlantic (ESMAT) and the Submarines Squadron of the Mediterranean (ESMED). In 1995, the remaining ESMA was dissolved with the last submarine leaving port on 11 February 1997. The fourAgosta and the two lastDaphné class were part of the Submarines Atlantic Group (GESMAT), created in 1995. The latter was in turn decommissioned on 1 July 1999 and the two ultimateAgosta-class vessels,La Praya andL'Ouessant, integrated the FOSt until their retirement.
Since 1970, the French submarine fleet consisted of:
On 1 November 1970, the 1st squadron, numbering 11 units, were designated as Submarines Squadron of the Mediterranean (ESMM, then ESMED) and the 2nd squadron created in 1947 which comprised eight vessels, six ofNarval class and two of theDaphné class, became the Submarine Squadron of the Atlantic (ESMA, then ESMAT). FourAgosta-class vessels were placed into service in 1977 and 1978 with retirement in 2001.
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On 28 January 1972, the firstballistic missile submarine of theRedoutable class left a submarine base for the firstnucleardeterrence patrol. With the creation of FOST, the submarine force was subordinated to support it in the role of nuclear deterrence.
With the commissioning of French nuclear ballistic missile submarine in the French Navy in 1970, it was decided to construct theRubis class of French nuclearattack submarines. Going through several designations, the nuclear-powered submarines was eventually designated theProvence class ( with the next two vessels being designated asBretagne andBourgogne), before being christened under thePresidency ofValéry Giscard d'Estaing. These were one of the most compact nuclear attack submarines in the world with reactor integration. Built since 1976, the first was delivered in 1983. Six entered service in total, the last in 1993. Their nuclear propulsion and speed allows the submarines to be dispatched with total secrecy to theMediterranean, Occidental Africa, the Antilles, thePersian Gulf, the Pacific Ocean, and other oceans and seas.
Occupied mainly, but not exclusively by operations ofanti-submarine warfare at the profit of deterrence, since the creation of theStrategic Oceanic Force, the employment scope range of the attack submarines was enlarged since the middle of the years of 1990 with the leveling placement of nuclear attack submarines which can act at the profit ofCarrier battle groups and maritime action.
The six French nuclear attack submarines of theRubis class are being replaced by theBarracuda class beginning in 2020. TheRubis class were the main class of nuclear attack submarines in service following the retirement of the last conventional propulsion submarines in 2001. The Squadron of Nuclear Attack Submarines (ESNA) is a component of the Strategic Oceanic Force which assimilated the Submarine Forces at the end of the 20th century.
Six French nuclear ballistic missile submarines of theLe Redoutable class capable of carrying sixteen ballistic missiles were built:
Four French nuclear ballistic missile submarines of a newer generation, theLe Triomphant class, are in service in 2010 in theforce océanique stratégique of theFrench Navy:
A successor SSBN class (theSNLE 3G ballistic missile submarines) began construction in 2024 with a view to commencing service entry in the mid-2030s.
The armament systems of the ballistic missile submarines include in general:
The mission of a French nuclear ballistic missile submarine is simple: leave the designated port of attachment, in the most discreet possible way, remain undetectable all along the mission to be able at any moment launch a nuclear strike, under orders of thepresident of France.