Rubis-class
Summary
| Origin country | 🇫🇷 France |
| Category | Submarine |
| Subtype | Nuclear-powered attack submarine |
| Manufacturer | Arsenal de Cherbourg (DCAN) |
| Year commissioned | 1983 |
| Units |
S605 Améthyste S606 Perle |
Operators
Technical specifications
| Displacement | 2400 tons |
| Displacement submerged | 2600 tons |
| Range | Unlimited, except by food supplies |
| Endurance | 45 |
| Crew | 66 members |
| Width | 7.6 m (24.9 ft) |
| Length | 73.6 m (241.5 ft) |
| Max. depth | 300 m (984.3 ft) |
| Propulsion | Pressurised water CAS-48 nuclear reactor (48 MW), 2 propulsion turbo generators (2 x 3,150 kW), 1 electric motor (8,448 shp), 1 shaft |
| Armament |
|
| Maximum speed | 15 knots |
| Max. speed submerged | 25 knots |
Description
The Rubis class is a series of nuclear-powered attack submarines operated by the French Navy. Development followed the 1972 Plan Bleu, which established a requirement for nuclear-powered attack vessels. Designated Type SNA 72, the design was smaller than contemporary nuclear submarines in other navies. To achieve this scale, designers utilized a compact nuclear reactor and integrated systems, including sensors and fire-control mechanisms, from the conventionally powered Agosta class. Six vessels were completed at the Arsenal de Cherbourg between 1976 and 1990, while two planned units were cancelled due to budget reductions.
The class features a single-hull construction of high elasticity steel with diving planes mounted on the conning tower. Propulsion is provided by a pressurized water reactor and turbo-electric drives, using natural circulation at low speeds to minimize acoustic signatures. Following initial noise issues, the Améthyste silencing program was implemented. This modification involved lengthening the hull, incorporating glass-reinforced plastic into the superstructure and bow, and installing flexible machinery mountings. The submarines utilize a suite of active and passive sonar arrays, including a towed array. Armament is deployed via torpedo tubes capable of launching anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, or mines.
The vessels entered service between 1983 and 1993, with all units based at Toulon as part of the Escadrille de sous-marins nucléaires d'attaque. In the late 1980s, the design was proposed to Canada for a planned nuclear submarine program, though the purchase was abandoned in 1989. Operational history includes participation in international maneuvers where class members conducted simulated engagements against United States Navy aircraft carriers in 1998 and 2015.
Service incidents include a collision between Rubis and an oil tanker in 1993, a steam leakage on Émeraude in 1994 resulting in ten casualties, and a fire on Perle in 2020 while in dry dock. Perle was subsequently repaired by joining its aft section with the forward hull section of the decommissioned Saphir. The class is currently being replaced by the Suffren class. Decommissioning of the Rubis class began with Saphir in 2019, followed by Rubis in 2022, Casabianca in 2023, and Émeraude in 2024. Two units remain in active service.