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Class overview
Name:	Triomphant
Builders:	DCNS
Operators:	French Navy
Preceded by:	Redoutable
Cost:	€4.282 billion (2009)[1]
Building:	0
Planned:	4
Completed:	4
Active:	4
Laid up:	0
Lost:	0
Retired:	0
General characteristics
Type:	ballistic missile submarine
Displacement:	12,640 tonne (surfaced) 14,335 tonne (submerged)
Length:	138 metres (453 ft)
Beam:	12.50 metres (41.0 ft)
Draught:	10.60 metres (34.8 ft)
Propulsion:	K15 pressurised water reactor (150 MW), turboreductor system, Pump-jet two diesel-powered generators SEMT Pielstick 8PA4V200 SM (700 kW) auxiliaries. 30,500 kW
Speed:	over 25 knots (46 km/h)
Range:	Unlimited distance; 20-25 years
Test depth:	Over 400 metres
Complement:	15 officers 96 sailors
Sensors and processing systems:	Sonar DMUX 80 Sonar DUUX 5 Sonar DSUV 61B Very Low Frequency Racal Decca radar (navigation) SCC : SET (Système d'exploitation Tactique) : tactical operational system
Electronic warfare and decoys:	ARUR 13
Armament:	Nuclear : 16 M45 SLBM or M51 SLBM missiles with TN 75 warheads four 533 mm (21-inch) torpedo tubes for F17 torpedoes and Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles, launchable while submerged
Notes:	boats in the class include: Triomphant (S 616), Téméraire (S 617), Vigilant (S 618), Terrible (S 619)

The Triomphant class of ballistic missile submarines of the French Navy is the active class of four boats that entered service in 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2010. These four supersede the older Redoutable-class, and they provide the ocean-based component (the Force océanique stratégique) of France's nuclear deterrent strike force, the Force de Frappe.

The first three boats are all armed with the French-produced and armed M45 intermediate-range missile, and the fourth vessel Terrible, has tested and is equipped with the more advanced M51 missile.^[2] Each of the first three boats are to be retrofitted to the M51 missile standard, starting with Vigilant in Winter 2010, then Triomphant and ending with Téméraire in 2018.^[3]

SNLE-NG[link]

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 Redoutable-class boats, with the last of those six boats being decommissioned in 2008. These submarines carry 16 Intermediate Range 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.^[4] Initially armed with the M45 Missile, they are designed to carry the new M51 missile, which entered active service in 2010. As of October 2010^[update], 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 the 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 EADS Astrium Space Transportation.), plus conventional torpedoes and Exocet anti-ship missiles.

List of submarines[link]

The French Navy's goal is to operate a force of four ballistic missile submarines (comparable with the Royal Navy's Vanguard-class submarines), of which two of the French boats are expected to be on patrol at any given time.

• Triomphant : Construction began on 9 June 1989; she was launched on 26 March 1994, and entered active service on 21 March 1997.
• Téméraire : Construction began on 18 December 1993; she was launched on 21 January 1998, and entered active service on 23 December 1999.
• Vigilant : Construction began in 1997; she was launched on 19 September 2003, and entered active service on 26 November 2004.
• Terrible : Construction began on 24 October 2000; she was launched on 21 March 2008, and entered active service on 20 September 2010.^[5]

An accident[link]

On 3 February or 4 February 2009, the Triomphant apparently collided with the Royal Navy submarine HMS Vanguard.^[6][7] The Triomphant was reported to have proceeded to Brest under her own power, submerged, but with extensive damage to her sonar dome.

Gallery[link]

• 

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

• 

  Le Vigilant

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Le Triomphant class submarines

• France and weapons of mass destruction
• FOST

References[link]

v t e Equipment of the French Navy Naval Action Force P400 · BATRAL · EDAR · EDIC · CDIC · Tripartite · Durance · A69 · Tourville · Georges Leygues · Cassard · Floréal · La Fayette · Foudre · Mistral · Aquitaine class multipurpose frigate · Horizon · Charles de Gaulle · PA 2 Submarine Forces Strategic Oceanic Force Rubis-class SSN · Suffren-class SSN · Redoutable-class SSBN · Triomphant-class SSBN Naval aviation Breguet Atlantic · Super Étendard · Hawkeye · Falcon 10 · Rafale · Super Frelon · Dauphin · Panther · Lynx · NH90

v t e SSBN classes in service  People's Liberation Army Navy Type 092 · Type 094  French Navy Triomphant  Russian Navy Delta III · Delta IV · Typhoon  Royal Navy Vanguard  United States Navy Ohio

Richard French (June 20, 1792 – May 1, 1854) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.

Born near Boonesborough, Kentucky, French attended private schools. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1820 and commenced practice in Winchester, Kentucky. He served as member of the State house of representatives 1820–1826. He served as judge of the circuit court in 1829.

French was elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1836 to the Twenty-fifth Congress. He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Governor of Kentucky in 1840.

French was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845).

French was again elected to the Thirtieth Congress (March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849). He resumed the practice of law. He died in Covington, Kentucky, on May 1, 1854. He was interred in the family burial ground near Mount Sterling, Kentucky.

References[link]

• Richard French at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Allen, William B. (1872). A History of Kentucky: Embracing Gleanings, Reminiscences, Antiquities, Natural Curiosities, Statistics, and Biographical Sketches of Pioneers, Soldiers, Jurists, Lawyers, Statesmen, Divines, Mechanics, Farmers, Merchants, and Other Leading Men, of All Occupations and Pursuits. Bradley & Gilbert. pp. 287. http://books.google.com/books?id=s_wTAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 2008-11-10. 
• Townsend, John Wilson (1907). Richard Hickman Menefee. Neale Publishing. pp. 74–75. http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;rgn=full%20text;idno=b98-37-40931404. Retrieved 2008-11-22. 

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.