Émeraude near Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer in early morning
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History | |
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France | |
Name | Émeraude |
Namesake | Emerald |
Laid down | October 1982 |
Launched | 12 April 1986 |
Commissioned | 15 September 1988 |
Homeport | Toulon |
Status | In active service |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Rubis-class submarine |
Displacement | 2600 t (2400 t surfaced) |
Length | 73.6 m (241 ft) |
Beam | 7.6 m (25 ft) |
Draught | 6.4 m (21 ft) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | over 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) |
Range | 8,500 nautical miles (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) |
Test depth | over 300 m |
Complement |
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Sensors and processing systems |
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Electronic warfare & decoys | ARUR 13 |
Armament |
Émeraude is a nuclear attack submarine from the first generation of attack submarines of the French Navy. Having been in service since 1988, she is scheduled to be retired in 2024. [3]
The boat is the fourth of the Rubis series. Between May 1994 and December 1995, the boat undertook a major refitting, which upgraded capabilities to the level of Améthyste.
On 30 March 1994, an accidental explosion occurred in the engine compartment while the boat was engaged in a naval exercise off Toulon. [4] The explosion killed ten men, including the commander, who were examining the turbo-alternator room. The boat returned to base under diesel and battery power. [5] [6]
In June 2009, Émeraude was sent to the mid Atlantic to aid in the search for the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the ill-fated Air France Flight 447. [7]
In February 2021, the submarine successfully concluded a passage of the South China Sea. [8]