×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

FS Saphir (S602)


Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine


France | 1984



"The French nuclear-powered submarine Saphir S602 was originally set to be named Bretagne."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one sea-going vessel design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for FS Saphir (S602).
1 x K48 pressurized water nuclear reactor with 2 x Turbo-alternators and 1 x Electric motor drivign power to 1 x shaft.
Propulsion
25.0 kts
28.8 mph
Surface Speed
Essentially Unlimited
Range
Structure
The bow-to-stern, port-to-starboard physical qualities of FS Saphir (S602).
70
Personnel
Complement
240.0 ft
73.15 meters
O/A Length
25.0 ft
7.62 meters
Beam
21.0 ft
6.40 meters
Draught
2,400
tons
Displacement
2,600
tons
Displacement (Submerged)
Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of FS Saphir (S602).
4 x 533mm torpedo tubes with 14 reloads (F17 Mod 2 torpedoes IR Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles. Also naval mines.
Ships-in-Class (6)
Notable series variants as part of the FS Saphir (S602) family line as relating to the Rubis-class group.
FS Rubis (FS Provence) (S601); FS Saphir (FS Bretagne) (S602); FS Casablanca (Bourgogne) (S603); FS Emeraude (S604); FS Amethyste (S605); FS Perle (S606); FS Turquoise (S607) (cancelled); FS Diamat (S608) (cancelled)
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 01/27/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Rubis-class of nuclear-powered attack submarines for the French Navy was originally envisioned as an eight-strong group until two were cancelled, leaving just the six to be led by FS Rubis (S601). FS Saphir (S602) - the subject of this article - then followed as the second boat in the class, her construction beginning on September 1st, 1979. Originally intended to carry the name of "Bretagne", she was renamed "Saphir" in 1981 and launched on September 1st that same year before being formally commissioned into service with the French Navy on July 6th, 1984.

Sister boats in the class include Casablanca (S603), Emeraude (S604), Amethyste (S605), and Perle (S606).

As built, Saphir displaces 2,600 tons when submerged and 2,400 tons when surfaced. Her design reaches a length of 241 feet with a beam measuring 25 feet and draught of 21 feet. As a nuclear-powered submarine, her propulsion system is centered around a pressurized water, K48 series nuclear reactor and this is mated to 2 x turbo-alternators with 1 x electric motor driving a single shaft at the stern. The boat is also outfitted with 1 x SEMT Pielstick 8PA4V 185 SM diesel-alternators and 1 x auxiliary engine which supplies propulsion for surfaced traveling. With this arrangement, Saphir can reach speeds of up to 25 knots and range becomes essentially unlimited due to the nuclear technology. Endurance is limited by onboard food stores which can last the crew some 45 days at sea before requiring replenishment. The vessel has been tested to depths of 300 meters which broadens the tactical capabilities of the attack submarine considerably. The vessel is crewed by seventy personnel.

At the heart of every attack submarine is its armament and sensor/processing systems. As such, Saphir is appropriately outfitted with 4 x 533mm torpedo tubes to fire the F17 Mod 2 torpedo as well as the SM39 "Exocet" anti-ship missile. The boat can carry up to 14 reloads of each or a mixed set and can further be called upon to lay naval mines when needed. Processing systems including a DMUX 20 series multi-function suite, an ETBF DSUV 62C towed antenna array, the DRUA 33 series radar and the ARUR 16 system.

Saphir, like the other boats of the class, were stricken with slow speed and noisy operation from the get-go, leading to the AMETHYSTE ("AMEleoration Tactique HYdrodynamique Silence Transmission Ecoute") Rebuild program of 1989. the primary goal of this program was to reduce the acoustic signature of the boats - the Canadian Navy rejected the design themselves based not only on cost but also noisiness. Changes to the design included a more rounded nosecap (as opposed to the original blunt shaping), upgraded sonar fits, and revised electronics. Amethyste and Perle were the first boats granted the fixes with the other four boats following to the standard through work spanning 1989 into 1995.

To date, Saphir has led a rather low profile service life. In September of 2001, she was called to torpedo the Cold War-era T47-class destroyer D-Estree which had been relegated as a target. During COMPTUEX 2015, she was credited with the "sinking" of the U.S. Navy carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt during allied war games.

Saphir remains in active service as of this writing (2019) and makes her homeport out of Toulon. She, and her sisters, is set to be succeeded by the Barracuda-/Suffren-class boats under construction as of January 2019 (detailed elsewhere on this site).

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global operator(s) of the FS Saphir (S602). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national naval warfare listing.
National flag of France

[ France ]
1 / 1
Image of the FS Saphir (S602)
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Going Further...
FS Saphir (S602) Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine appears in the following collections:
HOME
NAVAL WARFARE INDEX
WARSHIPS BY COUNTRY
SHIPBUILDERS
COMPARE WARSHIPS
SHIPS BY CONFLICT
SHIPS BY TYPE
SHIPS BY DECADE
COLD WAR SHIPS
MODERN VESSELS
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)