Inside a SSBN (a lot of pictures) !!!!!!

Kapitan · 01-09-16, 03:17 PM

Take a trip inside one of the French navy’s most Secret submarines

Le Redoubtable S611

This is Le Redoubtable S611 in her dry dock in Cite De La Mer Cherbourg Frace

Commissioned on the 1st of December 1971 Le Redoubtable S611 became France’s first nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine she was to be the lead boat in a class of six to be built by DCNS for the Marine Nationale.

She was powered by a single 16,000shp nuclear reactor giving he a top speed of a 25 knots (officially released). Able to dive to a depth of 250meters (Again officially) she like all boomers were to hide with pride and await orders from the president of France to initiate a nuclear launch.

Le Redoubtable S611

Her 7 scew bladed propeller helped her achieve 25 knots under waterbut it also kept her quiet while on patrol.

What a lot of people do not know is that France has a completely indigenous Nuclear deterrent unlike the UK – USA trident partnership France is truly independent what’s more despite being a founding member France was not a full member of NATO she only participates after she withdrew in 1966 although since 2009 France has now re-joined NATO as a full member.

Initially built to carry the French M1 missile Le Redoubtable was upgraded to carry the more advanced M2 missile in 1974 which she later went on to upgrade again to the M20.
For a boomer she didn’t have a particularly long life just 20 years being decommissioned on the 1st of December 1991 20 years to the day of her commissioning.
The submarine isn’t huge by our standards today in fact most French submarines are not large the dimensions of Le redoubtable are:

Length: 420ft Width: 10.5ft Draught: 33ft Displacement 8,000tons submerged

Despite being a boomer she did carry a good array of weapons including the Exocet anti-ship missile the F17 and L5 torpedoes for defence, as well as her main arm of 16 SLBM’s

Le Redoubtable S611

L5 torpedo half in the torpedo tube

Le Redoubtable S611

A panoramic shot of the forward torpedo compartment (excuse my friend)

Le Redoubtable S611

A shot of the missile silos

The last ship of the series L’Inflexible commissioned in 1986 served the Marine Nationale well into the 2000’s being struck from the list in 2008 she was also the first submarine to carry the new M4 missile.
The Whole class has now been phased out of service being replaced by the much larger Triomphant Class armed with the more up to date M45 and M51 type SLBM’s, these are almost twice the displacement of the original Redoubtable and 35ft longer and wider giving the crew much more room in which to move around and live.

Having been on board the Le Redoubtable she is well worth the visit she is a small SSBN but none the less she is the only one preserved anywhere in the world she is located at Cite De La Mer in Cherbourg France she is indeed one of the best preserved boats we have been on and also she is out of the water so you can get an idea of scale and if you fancy it take a walk underneath her.

Le Redoubtable S611

Yup thats right im infront but underneath the screw

Le Redoubtable S611

Starting Aft and working forward this is the very back of the boat the long shiny tube you see is in fact the propeller shaft

Le Redoubtable S611

The massive gearbox

Le Redoubtable S611

The Backup engines and motors

Le Redoubtable S611

As you can guess if you pay peanuts you get monkeys this is the back up motors control station

Le Redoubtable S611

The engineers control room the red handle to the right is the throttle to the submarine

Le Redoubtable S611

The electric motors these get you out of trouble if the reactor ever does down

Le Redoubtable S611

Here is the missile control panel

Le Redoubtable S611

The missile firing panel and yes we did try and fire one sadly it didn't work.

Le Redoubtable S611

Le Redoubtable S611

This is the control centre as you probably guessed the stations are set as if in battle stations / night surfacing hence the red light

Le Redoubtable S611

Dont panic he does a better job than Carl !

Le Redoubtable S611

Le Redoubtable S611

The officers mess

Le Redoubtable S611

The rates mess

Le Redoubtable S611

The rates bunks

Le Redoubtable S611

Junior officers Bunk space

Le Redoubtable S611

Torpedo compartment

Well that concludes the tour as i'm only able to upload 25 pictures there are more pictures available click the link in my signature for more.

Kapitan · 01-09-16, 03:20 PM

Stay tuned in the coming months there are quite a few more planned new trips and write ups

ikalugin · 01-09-16, 08:55 PM

Some documentaries you may like:
- Saving the sub crew.

- Delta class SSBN.

KrazyDimondRX · 01-10-16, 12:48 AM

Cool pics mate!!
Thanks for posting, and the captions too!

KDRX

Kapitan · 01-10-16, 03:10 AM

that reminds me ikalugin have the saved the K3 and pt her on display yet?

Kaye T. Bai · 01-12-16, 06:22 PM

Cool pics.

Newinger · 01-16-16, 09:16 AM

Officer's mess looks very cosy

01-09-16, 03:17 PM	#1
Kapitan Sub Test Pilot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK + Canada Posts: 7,090 Downloads: 68 Uploads: 7	Inside a SSBN (a lot of pictures) !!!!!! Take a trip inside one of the French navy’s most Secret submarines Le Redoubtable S611 This is Le Redoubtable S611 in her dry dock in Cite De La Mer Cherbourg Frace Commissioned on the 1st of December 1971 Le Redoubtable S611 became France’s first nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine she was to be the lead boat in a class of six to be built by DCNS for the Marine Nationale. She was powered by a single 16,000shp nuclear reactor giving he a top speed of a 25 knots (officially released). Able to dive to a depth of 250meters (Again officially) she like all boomers were to hide with pride and await orders from the president of France to initiate a nuclear launch. Le Redoubtable S611 Her 7 scew bladed propeller helped her achieve 25 knots under waterbut it also kept her quiet while on patrol. What a lot of people do not know is that France has a completely indigenous Nuclear deterrent unlike the UK – USA trident partnership France is truly independent what’s more despite being a founding member France was not a full member of NATO she only participates after she withdrew in 1966 although since 2009 France has now re-joined NATO as a full member. Initially built to carry the French M1 missile Le Redoubtable was upgraded to carry the more advanced M2 missile in 1974 which she later went on to upgrade again to the M20. For a boomer she didn’t have a particularly long life just 20 years being decommissioned on the 1st of December 1991 20 years to the day of her commissioning. The submarine isn’t huge by our standards today in fact most French submarines are not large the dimensions of Le redoubtable are: Length: 420ft Width: 10.5ft Draught: 33ft Displacement 8,000tons submerged Despite being a boomer she did carry a good array of weapons including the Exocet anti-ship missile the F17 and L5 torpedoes for defence, as well as her main arm of 16 SLBM’s Le Redoubtable S611 L5 torpedo half in the torpedo tube Le Redoubtable S611 A panoramic shot of the forward torpedo compartment (excuse my friend) Le Redoubtable S611 A shot of the missile silos The last ship of the series L’Inflexible commissioned in 1986 served the Marine Nationale well into the 2000’s being struck from the list in 2008 she was also the first submarine to carry the new M4 missile. The Whole class has now been phased out of service being replaced by the much larger Triomphant Class armed with the more up to date M45 and M51 type SLBM’s, these are almost twice the displacement of the original Redoubtable and 35ft longer and wider giving the crew much more room in which to move around and live. Having been on board the Le Redoubtable she is well worth the visit she is a small SSBN but none the less she is the only one preserved anywhere in the world she is located at Cite De La Mer in Cherbourg France she is indeed one of the best preserved boats we have been on and also she is out of the water so you can get an idea of scale and if you fancy it take a walk underneath her. Le Redoubtable S611 Yup thats right im infront but underneath the screw Le Redoubtable S611 Starting Aft and working forward this is the very back of the boat the long shiny tube you see is in fact the propeller shaft Le Redoubtable S611 The massive gearbox Le Redoubtable S611 The Backup engines and motors Le Redoubtable S611 As you can guess if you pay peanuts you get monkeys this is the back up motors control station Le Redoubtable S611 The engineers control room the red handle to the right is the throttle to the submarine Le Redoubtable S611 The electric motors these get you out of trouble if the reactor ever does down Le Redoubtable S611 Here is the missile control panel Le Redoubtable S611 The missile firing panel and yes we did try and fire one sadly it didn't work. Le Redoubtable S611 Le Redoubtable S611 Le Redoubtable S611 Le Redoubtable S611 This is the control centre as you probably guessed the stations are set as if in battle stations / night surfacing hence the red light Le Redoubtable S611 Dont panic he does a better job than Carl ! Le Redoubtable S611 Le Redoubtable S611 The officers mess Le Redoubtable S611 The rates mess Le Redoubtable S611 The rates bunks Le Redoubtable S611 Junior officers Bunk space Le Redoubtable S611 Torpedo compartment Well that concludes the tour as i'm only able to upload 25 pictures there are more pictures available click the link in my signature for more. __________________ DONT FORGET if you like a post to nominate it by using the blue diamond Find out about Museum Ships here: https://www.museumships.us/ Flickr for all my pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/ Navy general board articles: https://www.navygeneralboard.com/author/aegis/

01-09-16, 03:20 PM	#2
Kapitan Sub Test Pilot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK + Canada Posts: 7,090 Downloads: 68 Uploads: 7	Stay tuned in the coming months there are quite a few more planned new trips and write ups __________________ DONT FORGET if you like a post to nominate it by using the blue diamond Find out about Museum Ships here: https://www.museumships.us/ Flickr for all my pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/ Navy general board articles: https://www.navygeneralboard.com/author/aegis/

01-09-16, 08:55 PM	#3
ikalugin Ocean Warrior Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 3,212 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Some documentaries you may like: - Saving the sub crew. - Delta class SSBN. __________________ Grumpy as always.

01-10-16, 12:48 AM	#4
KrazyDimondRX Seaman Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NZ, North Island, Counties Posts: 35 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	Cool pics mate!! Thanks for posting, and the captions too! KDRX __________________ " An intellectual vacuum so strong that sometime I fear she will soak up the solar system like a black hole. " Skybird " That crazy Mulligan's droppin'em all over the place! "

01-10-16, 03:10 AM	#5
Kapitan Sub Test Pilot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK + Canada Posts: 7,090 Downloads: 68 Uploads: 7	that reminds me ikalugin have the saved the K3 and pt her on display yet? __________________ DONT FORGET if you like a post to nominate it by using the blue diamond Find out about Museum Ships here: https://www.museumships.us/ Flickr for all my pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/ Navy general board articles: https://www.navygeneralboard.com/author/aegis/

01-12-16, 06:22 PM	#6
Kaye T. Bai Samurai Navy Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Western Hemisphere, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo Supercluster Posts: 584 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Cool pics.

01-16-16, 09:16 AM	#7
Newinger A-ganger Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Magdeburg, Germany Posts: 77 Downloads: 246 Uploads: 0	Officer's mess looks very cosy