French submarine Le Téméraire (S617)

Le Téméraire is a Triomphant-class ballistic missile submarine of the French Navy, launched in January 1998,[citation needed] and commissioned in December 1999, six months behind schedule.[7] The boat had, in May 1999, successfully test launched an M45 submarine-launched ballistic missile.[8][9]

Le Téméraire (S 617)
History
France
NameLe Téméraire
Namesake"Reckless"
Cost4.282 billion (2010)[1]
Laid down18 December 1993
Launched21 January 1998
Commissioned23 December 1999
HomeportÎle Longue
IdentificationS617
General characteristics
Class and typeTriomphant-class submarine
Displacement
  • 12 640 tonnes (surfaced)
  • 14 335 t (submerged)
Length138 m (453 ft)
Beam12.50 m (41.0 ft)
Draught10.60 m (34.8 ft)
Propulsion
  • Pressurised water K15 nuclear reactor (150 MW (200,000 hp)), LEU 7%;[2] turboreductor system; Pump-jet
  • 2 SEMT Pielstick diesels-alternators 8PA4V200 SM (700 kW (940 hp)) auxiliaries.
  • 30,500 kW (40,900 hp)
Speedover 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
RangeUnlimited distance; 20–25 years
Test depthOver 400 m (1,300 ft)
Complement
  • 15 officers
  • 96 men
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[3][4] or TNO 100-300 kt thermonuclear warheads[5][6]
  • Anti-submarine : 4 × 533 mm (21 in) tubes for F17 torpedoes
  • Anti-surface : Exocet SM39

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "French Audit Report Reveals Weapon Prices, A400M Details". defence-aerospace.com. 18 February 2010. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  2. ^ https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/18321557.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  3. ^ "AFP: La marine française met un quatrième sous-marin nucléaire en service". Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  4. ^ "IA M51 : Chape de plomb sur le nucléaire". Mer et Marine. 4 October 2010. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  5. ^ Kristensen, Hans. "France" (PDF). Assuring Destruction Forever: Nuclear Weapon Modernization Around the World. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  6. ^ Reif, Kingston (8 December 2009). "Nuclear weapons: The modernization myth". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  7. ^ Mizokami, Kyle (12 April 2018). "France Has Lots of Nuclear Weapons (That Could Kill Millions of People)". National Interest. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  8. ^ Norris, Robert S.; Arkin, William M.; Kristensen, Hans M.; Handler, Joshua (1 July 2001). "French Nuclear Forces, 2001". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Final French Navy SSBN 'Le Temeraire' Upgraded for M51 SLBM". Navy Recognition. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2018.