Triomphant-class submarine
The "Triomphant" class of ballistic missile submarines of the French Navy is the active lead boat class of four boats that entered service in 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2010. These four superseded the older , and they provide the ocean-based component (the "Force océanique stratégique") of France's nuclear deterrent strike force, the "Force de dissuasion" (deterrence force). Their home port is Île Longue, Roadstead of Brest, Western Brittany. Design and construction. The first three boats were originally armed with the French-produced and armed M45 intermediate-range missile, and the fourth vessel, , tested and is equipped  with the more advanced M51 missile. Each of the first three boats were retrofitted to the M51 missile standard, with the last M45 offloaded in 2016. SNLE-NG. In French, these are called "Sous-Marin Nucléaire Lanceur d'Engins de Nouvelle Génération" (English: "Next Generation Device-Launching Nuclear Submarine"), abbreviated as SNLE-NG. They have replaced all of the boats, with the last of those six boats being decommissioned in 2008. These submarines carry 16 submarine-launched ballistic missile launching tubes apiece. This class reportedly produces approximately 1/1000 of the detectable noise of the "Redoutable"-class boats (submarines), and they are ten  times more sensitive in detecting other submarines. Initially armed with the M45 missile, they are designed to carry the new M51 missile, which entered active service in 2010. , an M51 has been test-fired from one of these submarines across the Atlantic Ocean from near France to the west, and is equipped on "Le Terrible". These boats were all constructed by the DCNS, and they carry an armament of 16 M45 SLBM or M51 SLBM missiles manufactured by the Aérospatiale company (now Airbus Defence and Space), plus conventional torpedoes and Exocet anti-ship missiles. List of submarines. The French Navy 's goal is to operate a force of four ballistic missile submarines (comparable with the Royal Navy's s), of which two are expected to be on patrol at any given time. Service history. On 3 February or 4 February 2009, "Le Triomphant" collided with the Royal Navy submarine ; the Royal Navy boat received damage to the outer casing in the area of the missile compartment on the starboard (right) side and suffered very visible dents and scrapes. "Le Triomphant" was reported to have proceeded to Brest under her own power, submerged, but with damage to her active sonar dome  under her bow.