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French Navy - Marine Nationale
Le Redoutable class Ballistic Missile Submarine - SSBN
(Sous-marin Nucléaire Lanceurs d’Engins / SNLE)
 

le redoutable class ballistic missile submarine ssbn snle french navy marine nationale m4 m20 slbm 02
 
06/22
Units:
 
 S 611 FS Le Redoutable (1971)
S 612 FS Le Terrible (1973)
S 610 FS Le Foudroyant (1974)
S 613 FS L'Indomptable (1976)
S 614 FS Le Tonnant (1980)
S 615 FS L'Inflexible (1985)
   
 
Specifications:
 
 Builder: Direction des Constructions Navales / DCN (now Naval Group), Cherbourg, Normandy, France
 
Displacement: 8080 tons (surfaced) / 8920 tons (submerged)
Length: 128,7 meters (422.1 feet)
Beam: 10,6 meters (34.8 ft)
Draught: 10 meters (32.8 ft)
Speed: 25 knots (46 km/h) submerged
Range: unlimited (20-25 years)
Complement: 135

Propulsion:
1 x pressurized, water cooled, nuclear reactor (100 MW / 133,000 hp)
2 sets of geared steam turbines powering 2 turbo alternators
turboreductor system
1 x electric motor delivering 11925 kW (15990 hp) to 1 shaft / 1 propeller
  
 2 x diesels generators SEMT Pielstick 8 PA V 185 (975 kW/1300 hp) - auxilary powerplant
 
 
 Armament:
  
16 x Vertical Launching Tubes
 for
 M4 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM)
 with 6 multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV) and nuclear warheads (150 kt)
 or earlier
 M20 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) with TN60 or TN61 nuclear warhead (1977-91)
M2 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) (1974-78)
M1 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) (1971-75)

 SLBM in French = MSBS (Mer-Sol Balistique Stratégique, or Sea-Ground Strategic Ballistic Missile)
- - - - -
 
4 x 533mm (21 inches) bow torpedo tubes
for a mix of up to 18:
 DTCN L5 or DTCN F17 heavy-weight torpedoes
MBDA Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles (SSM)
 
 
  Systems:
Thomson Sintra DSUX 21 active/passive bow and flank multifunctional sonar
DUUX 5 passive acoustic rangefinding and search sonar
DSUV 61B TASS very low frequency passive towed array sonar
Thomson CSF ARUR-13 electronic warfare system ESM/ECM
DUUG 1 active sonar warning system
DRUA 33 Calypso 2D air & surface search radar
Thomson CSF DRUA 33 navigation radar
optical and TV periscope
acoustic decoys
  
 
The structural changes in Inflexible have seen it regarded as a different class from the early boats.

L'Inflexible uses basically the same design as the other Redoutable-class vessels, but has benefited from technological advances over its predecessors. The submarine uses the M4 missile, which carries 6 independent 150 kilotonnes of TNT equivalent nuclear warheads.

L'Inflexible received TIT (Traitement de l'Information Tactique, "Tactical Information Processor"), a cluster of French-designed computers and serial digital bus links for intersystem communication and DMUX21 sonar. The submarine has an improved inertial navigation system over other vessels of the class. The boat also has the improved internal communication system - SNTI, Système Numérisé de Transmissions Intérieures (Digital Internal Communication System).

Other miscellaneous improvements were made in electrical systems, nuclear systems, improving safety and stealth and rudder and engines, improving reliability and stealth. Inflexible has an improved hull profile.

The other Redoutable-class submarines have been modified to meet the standards of L'Inflexible ("Refonte M4").

The class has been superseded by the Le Triomphant class, firing the larger M45 missile (M51 from around 2010).
 

S 611 FS Le Redoutable
 Redoutable = the formidable
 
Laid down: March 30, 1964
Launched: March 29, 1967
Commissioned: December 1, 1971
Decommissioned: December 13, 1991
Fate: museum boat at Cité de la Mer, Cherbourg-Octeville

S 612 FS Le Terrible
 Terrible = the terrible, dreadful
 
Laid down: June 24, 1967
Launched: December 12, 1969
Commissioned: January 1, 1973
Decommissioned: July 1, 1996
 

S 610 FS Le Foudroyant
 Foudroyant = the terrible
 
Laid down: December 12,1969
Launched: December 4, 1971
Commissioned: June 6, 1974
Decommissioned: April 30, 1998
 

S 613 FS L'Indomptable
 Indomptable = the untameable
 
Laid down: December 4, 1971
Launched: September 17, 1974
Commissioned: December 23, 1976
Decommissioned: April 2005
 

S 614 FS Le Tonnant
 Tonnant = the thundering
 
Laid down: October 1974
Launched: September 17, 1977
Commissioned: April 3, 1980
Decommissioned: December 16, 1999
  

S 615 FS L'Inflexible
 Inflexible = the inflexible, adamant
 
Laid down: March 27, 1980
Launched: June 23, 1982
Commissioned: April 1, 1985
Decommissioned: January 14, 2008
  
 
images

le redoutable class ballistic missile submarine ssbn snle french navy marine nationale terrible foudroyant indomptable tonnant inflexible 07

le redoutable class ballistic missile submarine ssbn snle french navy marine nationale terrible foudroyant indomptable tonnant inflexible 02

le redoutable class ballistic missile submarine ssbn snle french navy marine nationale terrible foudroyant indomptable tonnant inflexible 613 02

le redoutable class ballistic missile submarine ssbn snle french navy marine nationale terrible foudroyant indomptable tonnant inflexible 03

le redoutable class ballistic missile submarine ssbn snle french navy marine nationale terrible foudroyant indomptable tonnant inflexible 05

le redoutable class ballistic missile submarine ssbn snle french navy marine nationale terrible foudroyant indomptable tonnant inflexible 04

le redoutable class ballistic missile submarine ssbn snle french navy marine nationale terrible foudroyant indomptable tonnant inflexible 06

le redoutable class ballistic missile submarine ssbn snle french navy marine nationale terrible foudroyant indomptable tonnant inflexible 09

le redoutable class ballistic missile submarine ssbn snle french navy marine nationale terrible foudroyant indomptable tonnant inflexible 08
   
 
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