French submarine Émeraude (S604)
_underway_off_the_coast_of_Guam_on_11_December_2020_(201211-N-VR594-1087).JPG) Émeraude near Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer in early morning
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Émeraude |
| Namesake | Emerald |
| Laid down | October 1982 |
| Launched | 12 April 1986 |
| Commissioned | 15 September 1988 |
| Decommissioned | 12 December 2024[1] |
| Homeport | Toulon |
| Status | Decommissioned |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Rubis-class submarine |
| Displacement | 2600 t (2400 t surfaced) |
| Length | 73.6 m (241 ft) |
| Beam | 7.6 m (25 ft) |
| Draught | 6.4 m (21 ft) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | over 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) |
| Range | 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) |
| Test depth | over 300 m |
| Complement |
|
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys | ARUR 13 |
| Armament | |
Émeraude was a nuclear attack submarine from the first generation of attack submarines of the French Navy. Having been in service since 1988, she was retired in 2024.[4][5]
The boat was the fourth of the Rubis series. Between May 1994 and December 1995, the boat undertook a major refitting, which upgraded capabilities to the level of Améthyste.
On 30 March 1994, an accidental explosion occurred in the engine compartment while the boat was engaged in a naval exercise off Toulon.[6] The explosion killed ten men, including the commander, who were examining the turbo-alternator room. The boat returned to base under diesel and battery power.[7][8]
In June 2009, Émeraude was sent to the mid Atlantic to aid in the search for the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the ill-fated Air France Flight 447.[9]
In February 2021, the submarine successfully concluded a passage of the South China Sea.[10]
In October 2024, Émeraude departed Toulon for the final time, transitting to Cherbourg for her decommissioning but taking part in exercises with the Moroccan Navy enroute.[11] On 15 November 2024, the submarine arrived in Cherbourg to be decommissioned.[12]
See also
[edit]
Notes and references
[edit]- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (13 December 2024). "Cherbourg : dernière cérémonie des couleurs pour le SNA Émeraude". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ McCord, Cameron (June 2013), "Examination of the Proposed Conversion of the U.S. Navy Nuclear Fleet from Highly Enriched Uranium to Low Enriched Uranium", Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archived 2023-05-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (13 December 2024). "Cherbourg : dernière cérémonie des couleurs pour le SNA Émeraude". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (5 September 2023). "Le SNA Casabianca achève son dernier voyage à Cherbourg". Mer et Marine. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ Riding, Alan (30 March 1994). "10 Are Killed In French Sub On Exercises". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ "10 Killed on French Submarine". The Washington Post. 31 March 1994. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ "10 Die in French Submarine Accident". The Buffalo News. 30 March 1994. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016.
- ^ "More bodies found near Air France crash site". Reuters. 2009-06-07. Archived from the original on 2009-06-08. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
- ^ "Indo-Pacific: French nuclear sub prowls South China Sea". Nikkei Shinbun. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (25 October 2024). "Le SNA Émeraude attendu à Cherbourg avant la mi-novembre". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
- ^ Groizeleau, Vincent (19 November 2024). "Le sous-marin Émeraude a rejoint Cherbourg pour y être désarmé". Mer et Marine. Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- Sous-marin nucléaire d'attaque Émeraude netmarine.net