| Redoutable-class submarine (1967) | |
|---|---|
 Redoutable | |
| Class overview | |
| Name: | Redoutable |
| Builders: | DCNS |
| Operators: |
 French Navy |
| Preceded by: | Gymnote |
| Succeeded by: | Triomphant |
| Completed: | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Ballistic missile submarine |
| Displacement: | 8,000 tons (submerged) |
| Length: | 128 m (420 ft) |
| Beam: | 10.6 m (35 ft) |
| Draught: | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
One PWR 16,000 shp (12,000 kW) |
| Speed: | over 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Range: | Unlimited distance; 20–25 years |
| Complement: |
15 officers 120 sailors |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
1 DRUA 33 1 DMUX 21 1 DSUV 61B VLF 1 DUUX 5 ARUR 12 radar detector |
| Armament: |
16 × M4 MSBS (Mer Sol Balistique Stratégique) nuclear missiles 4 × 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes F-17 and L-5 torpedoes SM-39 Exocet |
The Redoutable-class submarine is a ballistic missile submarine class of the French Marine Nationale. In French, the type is called Sous-marin Nucléaire Lanceur d'Engins (SNLE), literally "Missile-launching nuclear submarine". When commissioned, they constituted the strategic part of the naval component of the French nuclear triad, then called Force de frappe (the aircraft carriers Clemenceau and Foch constituting the tactical part). The class entered active service in 1971 with Redoutable, six submarines were built in total. All have since been decommissioned. The structural changes in Inflexible have seen it regarded as a different class from the early boats. The class has been superseded by the Triomphant class, firing the larger M45 missile (M51 from around 2010).
The first submarine, Redoutable, was ordered in 1963, built at Cherbourg, launched in 1967 and commissioned in 1971. Later submarines were very heavily upgraded from 1985 to fire the 2nd generation MIRV capable M4 missile - Tonnant was recommissioned in 1987; Indomptable in 1989; Terrible in 1990; and Foudroyant in 1993.
Ship list:
- Redoutable (1971–1991)
- Terrible (1973–1996)
- Foudroyant (1974–1998)
- Indomptable (1976–2003)
- Tonnant (1980–1999, first M2 submarine)
- Inflexible (1985–2008, first M4 submarine)
External Links/Sources[]
- An Illustrated Guide to Modern Submarines by David Miller
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The original article can be found at Redoutable-class submarine (1967) and the edit history here.