Rubis-class submarine

Casabianca in April 2005
Class overview
Name:	Rubis class
Builders:	DCNS
Operators:	Marine Nationale
Preceded by:	Daphné class
Succeeded by:	Barracuda class
In commission:	23 February 1983
Planned:	8
Completed:	6
Cancelled:	2
Active:	S601 Rubis (ex-Provence) S602 Saphir (ex-Bretagne) S603 Casabianca (ex-Bourgogne) S604 Émeraude S605 Améthyste S606 Perle
General characteristics
Type:	Nuclear attack submarine
Displacement:	2400 t (surfaced) 2600 t (submerged)
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 (64,000 hp)) ; 2 turbo-alternators ; 1 electric engine (7 MW (9,400 hp)); one propeller 1 diesels-alternators SEMT Pielstick 8 PA 4V 185 SM - one auxiliary engine, 5 MW (6,700 hp).
Speed:	over 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range:	Unlimited distance; 20–25 years
Complement:	10 officers 52 warrant officers 8 petty officers
Sensors and processing systems:	DMUX 20 active/passive sonar ETBF DSUV 62C towed array passive sonar DSUV 22 passive cylindrical array sonar with active transducer DRUA 33 radar ARUR 13
Armament:	4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes 14 of mixed capacity of the following F17 mod2 torpedoes 14 Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles Mines

The Rubis type is a class of first-generation nuclear attack submarines of the French Navy. The class comprises six vessels and they are the most compact nuclear attack submarines to date. All submarines of the class (except for Casabianca) are named after gemstones.

Although the Rubis class belonged to the same generation as the Redoutable, due to President Charles De Gaulle's insistence on acquiring a nuclear deterrent for France, the Rubis program was started only in 1974, after the ballistic missile submarine program. The first Rubis hull was laid down in December 1976 and launched in 1979.

In 1987, the Canadian White Paper on Defence recommended the purchase of 10 to 12 Rubis or Trafalgar-class submarines under technology transfer, which would be known as the Canada-class. with the choice of the type of submarine due to be confirmed before Summer 1988. The goal was to build up a three-ocean navy and to assert Canadian sovereignty over Arctic waters.

The Rubis-class as designed failed to meet the Canadian Statement of Requirement (SOR) as it was noisy underwater and slow. It also came with the caveat that the first 4-5 submarines would have to be built in France. Unlike the British Trafalgar-class, the Rubis design did not require USA permission to transfer the nuclear propulsion technology, as the Americans were certain to invoke their veto of the sale to Canada. The French brought back a revision to their design, added an "ice pick" so the submarine could operate under ice and were developing a modification for their torpedo tubes which were too short to use the Mark 48 torpedoes. The purchase was finally abandoned in April 1989 due to high costs, particularly with the end of the Cold War.

The initial design of the Rubis proved to be problematic with unexpectedly high noise levels. This led to the Améthyste silencing program (AMÉlioration Tactique HYdrodynamique Silence Transmission Ecoute, literally Silent Acoustic Transmission Tactical Hydrodynamic Amelioration) which was applied to the fifth (S605 Améthyste) and sixth (S606 Perle) hulls.

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Wikipedia