Le Redoutable class submarine

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For the submarine class of the Second World War, see Le Redoutable class submarine (1931)

Le Redoutable class Ballistic missile submarine
The Redoutable
Class overview
Type:	Ballistic missile submarine
Name:	Le Redoutable class
Operators:	French Navy
Preceded by:	none
Succeeded by:	Le Triomphant
Ships in class:	6
General characteristics
Displacement:	9,000 tons (submerged)
Length:	130 m
Beam:	10,60 m
Draught:	10 m
Propulsion and power:	One PWR 16,000 shp
Speed:	over 20 knots (37 km/h)
Range:	Essentially unlimited
Complement:	15 officers 120 sailors
Armament:	16 M4 MSBS (Mer Sol Balistique Stratégique) nuclear missiles four 533 mm torpedo tubes F-17 and L-5 torpedoes SM-39 Exocet
Sensors and processing systems:	1 DRUA 33 1 DMUX 21 1 DSUV 61B VLF 1 DUUX 5 ARUR 12 radar detector
Ships:
Le Redoutable; Le Terrible; Le Foudroyant; L'Indomptable; Le Tonnant; L'Inflexible

The Redoutable class submarine is a ballistic missile submarine class of the French Marine Nationale , the oceanic part (Force Océanique Stratégique, FOST) of the Force de frappe. In French, the type is called Sous-marin Nucléaire Lanceur d'Engins (SNLE), literally "Missile-launching nuclear submarine".

The class entered active service in 1971 with Le Redoutable, six submarines were built in total. Only one is still active, L'Inflexible (S615) based at Ile Longue, Brest. The structural changes in L'Inflexible have seen it regarded as a different class from the early boats. The class has been superseded by the Le Triomphant class, firing the larger M45 missile (M51 from around 2010).

The first submarine, Le Redoutable, was ordered in 1963, built at Cherbourg, launched in 1967 and commissioned in 1971. Later submarines were very heavily upgraded from 1985 to fire the 2nd generation MIRV capable M4 missile - Le Tonnant was recommissioned in 1987; L'Indomptable in 1989; Le Terrible in 1990; and Le Foudroyant in 1993.

Boat list:

Le Redoutable (1971-1991)
Le Terrible (1973-1996)
Le Foudroyant (1974-1998)
L'Indomptable (1976-2003)
Le Tonnant (1980-1999, first M2 submarine)
L'Inflexible (1985-, first M4 submarine)

Le Redoutable in Cherbourg

Comparison of different nuclear systems: left, the SNLE (Le Redoutable type) with the M4 missile; right, the SNLE-NG (Le Triomphant type) with the present M45 missile and the future M51 missile.