French submarine Perle (S606)

Perle is a first-generation nuclear attack submarine of the French Navy.

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Perle.
History
France
Name: Perle
Namesake: Pearl
Laid down: 22 March 1987
Launched: 22 September 1990
Commissioned: 7 July 1993
Homeport: Toulon
Fate: In active service but laid up for repair due to 2020 fire
General characteristics
Class and type: Rubis class submarine
Displacement: 2600 t (2400 t surfaced)
Length: 73.6 m (241 ft)
Beam: 7.6 m (25 ft)
Draught: 6.4 m (21 ft)
Propulsion:
  • Pressurised water K48 nuclear reactor (48 MW) ; 2 turbo-alternators ; 1 electric engine (7 MW); one propeller
  • 1 diesel-alternators SEMT Pielstick 8 PA 4V 185 SM; one auxiliary engine, 5 MW.
Speed: over 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range: 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi)
Test depth: over 300 m
Complement:
  • 10 officers
  • 52 warrant officers
  • 8 petty officers
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • DMUX 20 multifonction
  • ETBF DSUV 62C tugged antenna
  • DSUV 22 microphone system
  • DRUA 33 radar
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 ARUR 13
Armament:
  • 4 × 533mm tubes.[1]
  • total mixed load of 14
    • F17 mod2 torpedoes
    • 14 Exocet SM39
  • mines

Construction began on March 27, 1987, the boat was launched on September 22, 1990 - and entered active duty service on July 7, 1993.

The boat is the sixth and last of the Rubis series.

History

The boat was deployed in the Royal Navy Auriga 2010 exercise alongside 7 Royal Navy war ships and 1 U.S.Navy destroyer.

2020 fire

On Friday June 12, 2020 at 10:35 a.m., a fire started at the front of Perle, while in drydock for maintenance and repair at the military port of Toulon.[2] The fire was reported as under control at 9:36 PM.[3] Firefighters flooded the rear compartments of the submarine with foam. At least 30 specialist naval fighters and a fireboat were involved.[3] There were no reported injuries in the fire. Since the submarine's 48 megawatt pressurized water nuclear reactor had been removed when it entered the drydock in January 2020, there was no risk of radioactive contamination.[3]

Depending on the degree of damage to the Perle, the French navy may extend the service lives of Rubis-class submarines still in service, or accelerate the production of Suffren-class submarines.[3]

In October 2020 it was announced that the submarine would be repaired using the forward section of her decommissioned sister boat, Saphir. The repair was to begin in January 2021 with envisaged completion in 2023.[4]

See also

Notes and references
  1. http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/rubis/
  2. https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/06/firefighters-battled-the-french-ssn-perle-blaze-for-14-hours/
  3. Roblin, Sebastien (June 12, 2020). "A French Submarine Caught Fire In Drydock. It Could Lead Paris To Rethink Its Nuclear Deterrence Strategy". Forbes. Forbes Media LLC.
  4. https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/euronaval-2020/2020/10/euronaval-france-to-repair-fire-damaged-ssn-perle-with-forward-section-of-ssn-saphir/


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