Naval Group and the Fleet Support Service have signed a contract for the operational maintenance of the French Navy’s nuclear attack submarines (SSN) which will be in force for over three years and is worth several hundred million euros. This agreement includes the maintenance operations of Rubis and Suffren-class SSNs and all the related services: engineering, maintenance of tools and spares, management of the stock of spares, training platforms and maintenance of nuclear installations necessary for the operational maintenance (MCO) of submarines.The contract came in force early July and brings together all the routine maintenance activities essential to the technical availability of nuclear attack submarines.
“I would like to thank the French Navy, which has once again placed its trust in us. Naval Group is committed to working alongside its customer on a daily basis and over the long term to ensure the best possible operational availability of its ships,” explains Vincent Martinot-Largarde, Executive Vice-President, Services. “Service and technical performance are at the core of this contract. Naval Group guarantees to the French Navy a high level of safety and security as well as a strong technical support capacity. Through this contract, the group is also bound to ensure the availability of critical systems of the vessels.”
This agreement will mobilise several Naval Group’s partners for the supply of strategic equipments (TechnicAtome, Thales, Safran), the local industrial fabric and over five hundred Naval Group employees based in several sites in France. This contract is part of a transitional phase between the gradual withdrawal from active service of Rubis-class SSNs and the arrival of the new generation Suffren-classSSN. The aim is for Naval Group to carry out maintenance operations on these two types of SSN which have different technologies and requirements. The infrastructures of the Toulon naval base are currently undergoing a modernisation phase to adapt to this generational change in submarines.
The Submarine Forces of France (French: Forces Sous-Marines, FSM) is one of the four main components of the French Navy. This Submarine Force regroups the ensemble of French submarines capability types. French submarine forces are armed with over 4000 military and civilian personnel out of which an estimated 2000 Submariners (French: Sous-Mariniers). French submarine headquarter staff is a self-sufficient command made up of two prime components:
The Strategic Oceanic Force, formed of several French nuclear ballistic missile submarines with base in French arsenals. ALFOST commandment commenced in 1972.
The Squadron of Nuclear Attack Submarines, formed in a squadron of several French nuclear attack submarines with base in French arsenals.
