France’s Small Nuclear Submarine ‘Sank’ a US Navy Aircraft Carrier in a Wargame

Key Points – France’s Rubis-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs), despite their smaller size (2,600 tons submerged), have been highly capable and stealthy assets for the French Navy since the 1980s.

-Armed with F-17 torpedoes and Exocet anti-ship missiles, they perform diverse missions including anti-submarine/surface warfare, intelligence gathering, special forces deployment, and escorting the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.

-One Rubis-class submarine, the Saphir, famously “sank” the USS Theodore Roosevelt in a 2015 exercise.

-Though effective, the Rubis-class is now being replaced by the larger, more advanced Suffren-class, with three already retired.

The Best NATO Submarine You Have Never Heard Of Sank a Navy Aircraft Carrier in a Drill 

One country that has an under-rated group of nuclear-powered submarines has reason to gloat. France’s Rubis-class boat, a smaller-sized but quiet and quick attack sub once successfully simulated an attack on an American aircraft carrier in 2015 with a notional “sinking” during drills.

This French sub is quite the stealth creation, although it is starting to get long in the tooth. The Rubis-class was built in the 1980s and has been a valued part of the fleet since then.

The three Rubis-class boats only carry 70 sailors and are based in Toulon. Rubis-class subs have the best in French-made F-17 torpedoes to sink adversarial subs and naval vessels. Plus, there are some excellent Exocet anti-ship missiles on board that can teach the enemy a trick or two in undersea warfare.

Rubis-class Can Conduct Multiple Roles

One captain of a Rubis-class sub told journalists who were visiting as part of a rare public check ride in 2024 that he is confident in the boat’s capabilities and multirole mission set.

“We have the conventional mission of submarines, meaning anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence gathering, special forces. But we don’t have nuclear weapons on board this type of submarine,” explained Manuel Bienvu, the submarine’s commander.

Part of a French Carrier Strike Group to Bolster NATO

One important mission for the Rubis-class is to escort the new aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. This is a significant operation for NATO interoperability. The alliance needs countries with carriers and nuclear submarines. The stealthy Rubis-class can keep up with the de Gaulle and form a protective screen around the large vessel to enable some of the best aviation operations in NATO.

The Rubis-class boats are assigned to conduct missions for joint exercises in the Mediterranean. They could even venture as far as the Persian Gulf and Red Sea if needed. Indeed, the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists have been keeping freedom of navigation in the Red Sea minimized for months. The Rubis-class could accompany the Charles de Gaulle or other NATO carriers on missions to that region. It would also be possible to conduct operations as far away as East Asia to give the Chinese something else to worry about.

However, the Rubis-class boats are going away unfortunately. Three have been retired and they will be replaced with the new Suffren-class of fast attack subs. It will be the end of the line for the under-valued Rubis-class, but the French need a boat that is bigger and more powerful with better survivability and the payload to deliver more torpedoes and missiles.

When A Rubis-class Boat Taught the U.S. Navy a Lesson In Stealth and Firepower

The Rubis-class will be best known for the exploits of the Saphir that once “sank” the American aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in joint drills ten years ago off the coast of Florida. The Theodore Roosevelt was part of a strike group consisting of several Ticonderoga-class cruisers, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and one Los Angeles-class stealth submarine. The Saphir made it through this screen and surprised the Americans with simulated torpedo “hits.”

Key Features of the Rubis-class

Rubis-class boats are not big – only displacing 2,600 tons submerged. They are 241 feet long, which runs on the short-side for nuclear-powered submarines. They can operate at depths up to 918 feet.

The Rubis-class features a K48 pressurized nuclear reactor, which French engineers poured their heart into several decades ago. Two turbo-alternators and one electric motor enable a top speed of 25 knots. The boat is quiet enough for most missions.

The Rubis-class has top-flight sensor and listening systems. There are active/passive sonar, cylindrical array sonar, and towed array sonar suites.

Could the French Pause Retirement Plans?

The French will miss the Rubis-class upon full retirement. But why decommission all of the boats so quickly?

They seem to be such an asset that they could continue to serve. This would bolster the French undersea warfare program and give NATO a boost. The alliance is always worried about Russia and its prolific submarine force. NATO cannot get enough subs, especially those that have enjoyed such a sterling record while running silent and deep since the Cold War.

A refueling and maintenance of the nuclear reactors probably has to happen, which could be a long and expensive process. It is probably better to bring the Suffren-class online in the coming years and do away with the Rubis subs. But they have enjoyed an excellent service life.

Those sailors on the Saphir that did such “damage” to the confidence of American personnel on the “sunk” carrier will remember the Rubis-class for the rest of their careers.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.

Submarines Like No Other

Japan Might Have a Stealth Submarine the U.S. Navy Would Love 

Virginia-Class: The Best Submarine Ever?

Los Angeles-Class: The Sub the Navy Can’t Retire?