In a statement, Florence Parly, the French Minister for Armed Forces, confirmed that the nuclear attack submarine Perle, which caught fire earlier this year in June while being under maintenance, will undergo repairs in the coming six months.
The undamaged aft of the vessel will be cut away from the damaged fore and then welded to the front of the Saphir, the nuclear attack submarine that was withdrawn from active service a year ago.
The strategic decision allows the French navy to maintain its full fleet of nuclear attack submarines for the next decade. France is gradually replacing its aging Rubis-class submarines with the newer Suffren class.
“This is a complex operation that few countries are able to consider doing, but we are undertaking it with confidence. Because despite the circumstances, each step of this repair corresponds to proven know-how: These are technologies that Naval Group and the state services are familiar with and master,” said Parly.
Earlier some doubts had been cast whether the submarine could be salvaged at all given the extensive damage it had suffered during the 14 hour blaze which had broken out at the naval base shipyard in Toulon on June 12, 2020. Since then, the French Navy, along with experts from the Naval Group, and the DGA French procurement agency have analyzed the damage from the blaze and reported that the submarine can be repaired.
During the fire, the fore of the 26-yr old submarine bore the brunt of the blaze with the high temperatures altering the qualities of the steel.
“And it is this steel that absorbs the extremely high-pressure of the marine depths,” said Parly. Thus, the first step of the repair program will see the damaged portion cut away, dismantled and welded to the front of the Saphir. Luckily the parts that house the nuclear power plant and propulsion of the submarine is intact.
“We will then reconnect the internal connections, the cables and the pipes,” she explained. “The Perle will then continue with the major overhaul that was interrupted by the fire.”
Incidentally, when the blaze had broken out, the Perle was empty of weapons, pumps, nuclear power plant, fuel, electronic cabinets, ventilators and other equipment.
Repairs to the submarine is expected to cost in the range of €120 million to $140 million, according French media reports. While the defense ministry would pay €70 million, the balance €50 million would come from a Naval Group insurance.
The undamaged aft of the vessel will be cut away from the damaged fore and then welded to the front of the Saphir, the nuclear attack submarine that was withdrawn from active service a year ago.
The strategic decision allows the French navy to maintain its full fleet of nuclear attack submarines for the next decade. France is gradually replacing its aging Rubis-class submarines with the newer Suffren class.
“This is a complex operation that few countries are able to consider doing, but we are undertaking it with confidence. Because despite the circumstances, each step of this repair corresponds to proven know-how: These are technologies that Naval Group and the state services are familiar with and master,” said Parly.
Earlier some doubts had been cast whether the submarine could be salvaged at all given the extensive damage it had suffered during the 14 hour blaze which had broken out at the naval base shipyard in Toulon on June 12, 2020. Since then, the French Navy, along with experts from the Naval Group, and the DGA French procurement agency have analyzed the damage from the blaze and reported that the submarine can be repaired.
During the fire, the fore of the 26-yr old submarine bore the brunt of the blaze with the high temperatures altering the qualities of the steel.
“And it is this steel that absorbs the extremely high-pressure of the marine depths,” said Parly. Thus, the first step of the repair program will see the damaged portion cut away, dismantled and welded to the front of the Saphir. Luckily the parts that house the nuclear power plant and propulsion of the submarine is intact.
“We will then reconnect the internal connections, the cables and the pipes,” she explained. “The Perle will then continue with the major overhaul that was interrupted by the fire.”
Incidentally, when the blaze had broken out, the Perle was empty of weapons, pumps, nuclear power plant, fuel, electronic cabinets, ventilators and other equipment.
Repairs to the submarine is expected to cost in the range of €120 million to $140 million, according French media reports. While the defense ministry would pay €70 million, the balance €50 million would come from a Naval Group insurance.
