''Émeraude'' is a

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

attack submarine An attack submarine or hunter-killer submarine is a submarine specifically designed for the purpose of attacking and sinking other submarines, surface combatants and merchant vessels. In the Soviet and Russian navies they were and are called ...

from the first generation of attack submarines of the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

. The boat is the fourth of the ''Rubis'' series. Between May 1994 and December 1995, the boat undertook a major refitting, which upgraded capabilities to the level of the '' Améthyste''. On 30 March 1994, an accidental explosion occurred in the engine compartment while the boat was engaged in a naval exercise off

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

. The explosion killed ten men, including the commander, who were examining the turbo-alternator room. The boat returned to base under diesel and battery power. In June 2009, the Émeraude was sent to the mid Atlantic to aid in the search for the

flight data recorder A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. The device may often be referred to as a "black box", an outdated name which has ...

and

cockpit voice recorder A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. The device may often be referred to as a "black box", an outdated name which has ...

from the ill-fated

Air France Flight 447 Air France Flight 447 (AF447 or AFR447) was a scheduled international passenger flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France. On 1 June 2009, inconsistent airspeed indications led to the pilots inadvertently stalling the Airbus A330 ser ...

. In February 2021, the submarine successfully concluded a passage of the South China Sea. Image:Tapeemeraude.jpg, Tampion of the ''Emeraude''

Notes and references

Sous-marin nucléaire d'attaque ''Emeraude''
netmarine.net Rubis-class submarines Ships built in France Cold War submarines of France Submarines of France 1986 ships {{France-mil-ship-stub

See also

Notes and references