The SNLE 3G (''Sous-Marin Nucléaire Lanceur d'Engins de Troisieme Génération'' "third generation nuclear

ballistic missile submarine A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy's hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN – t ...

") is a class of submarines under development for 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 ...

's nuclear deterrent, part of the

Force de dissuasion The ''Force de frappe'' ( French: "strike force"), or ''Force de dissuasion'' ("deterrent force") after 1961,Gunston, Bill. Bombers of the West. New York: Charles Scribner's and Sons; 1973. p104 is the designation of what used to be a triad of ...

. It is being designed as a replacement for the current ''Triomphant'' class beginning around 2035, and could remain in service to as late as 2090.

Planning

The current French ballistic missile submarines, the ''Triomphant'' class came into service from 1997 and are due to be withdrawn around 2035. Initial studies for a replacement class began in 2017. The start of the general detailed design phase for the vessels was announced on 18 February 2021 by Minister of the Armed Forces

Florence Parly Florence Parly (born 8 May 1963) is a French politician who served as Minister of the Armed Forces under President Emmanuel Macron from 2017 to 2022. A former member of the Socialist Party (PS), she previously served as Secretary of State for t ...

. The project is led by the French defence procurement agency, the

Direction générale de l'armement The Direction générale de l’armement (DGA; English: Directorate General of Armaments), is the French Government Defence procurement and technology agency responsible for project management, development and purchase of weapon systems for the Fr ...

, with support from the

French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission or CEA ( French: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives), is a French public government-funded research organisation in the areas of energy, defense and securit ...

. The vessels are expected to be built by

Naval Group Naval Group is a major French industrial group specialized in naval defense design, development and construction. Its headquarters are located in Paris. Heir to the French naval dockyards initiated in 1631 by Cardinal Richelieu and to the Direc ...

in Cherbourg and . The supply chain will involve 200 companies and 3,000 people. The design phase is expected to require 15 million man hours of effort and the construction of each submarine 20 million man-hours. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with

Thales Group Thales Group () is a French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures electrical systems as well as devices and equipment for the aerospace, defence, transportation and security sectors. The company is headquartered in Paris' ...

to provide a full sonar suite for the new class which will include flank and bow-mounted sonar and a towed array. The suite will require the use of artificial intelligence to manage the increased data outputs. The cost of the project has been estimated by commentators at around €40 billion, though the Ministry for the Armed Forces has said it is too early to provide an estimate. The design phase is expected to last around five years.

Design and operation

The plan is to construct four submarines, the same number as the ''Triomphant'' class. This is intended to ensure that one vessel can be kept permanently at sea and a second at sea or on short notice to depart. The remaining two vessels would be in maintenance. On routine deployments, each vessel is expected to spend around 3 months at sea at a time. The vessels will, like their predecessors, be based out of

Île Longue Île Longue ( French for "Long Island") is a peninsula of the roadstead of Brest in the department of Finistère in the Brittany region. It is the base of the SNLE, the French ballistic missile submarines, and as such one of the most secretive ...

. The SNLE 3G submarines are expected to join the fleet from 2035 and remain in service until 2080–2090. The first metal will be cut for the vessels in 2023 and completed submarines delivered at a rate of one every five years from 2035, with the programme completing in 2050. The vessels are expected to be slightly longer and larger in displacement than the ''Triomphant'' class. They are expected to have improved acoustic and magnetic shielding to reduce their visibility to detection systems. The vessels are expected to be otherwise similar in design to their predecessors. They will carry around 100 crew and be armed with 16 M51 nuclear missiles. The M51, which is currently in use on the ''Triomphant'' class, will be upgraded and developed in the future. The SNLE 3G will feature an X-shaped stern as introduced on the ''Barracuda''-class attack submarine. The SNLE 3G will be powered by the same K15 nuclear reactor as used on the ''Barracuda'' class.

References

{{reflist Submarine classes France defense procurement Nuclear submarines of the French Navy

Planning

Design and operation

See also

References