Given the increasingly complex global landscape, it is now considered timely for the French Navy to conduct at-sea experimental operations. Initiated in 2021, the POLARIS program was designed to provide training under conditions that closely replicate real combat scenarios, while also encouraging technological innovation.
In December 2024, a French nuclear-powered attack submarine launched an F21 heavyweight torpedo at the hull of the decommissioned patrol vessel Premier Maître L’Her, resulting in its breakup and sinking. Earlier, in February, the frigate Courbet, part of the Lafayette class, underwent a successful shock test involving the detonation of a naval mine. Then in March 2025, the amphibious assault ship Tonnerre led the DRAGOON FURY exercise, which involved the deployment and evaluation of various offensive and defensive drone systems during a large-scale amphibious operation alongside French Army units.
Consistent with France’s international environmental and maritime safety obligations, rigorous precautions were taken before and during these operations to safeguard marine ecosystems and other sea users. The target vessel was fully cleaned of pollutants, including fuel and other fluids, and outfitted with protective shielding—such as metal plating and tires—in the impact area to reduce the likelihood of sinking prematurely.
The insights gained from the April 26th experiment are expected to enhance the development of remotely controlled naval weapons, particularly in terms of deployment methods, targeting precision, and explosive systems.
