French Navy Hails Live-Fire Torpedo Test Success

A nuclear attack submarine from the French Navy has successfully conducted a live-fire exercise to assess the effectiveness of Naval Group's F21 heavyweight torpedo.

Last week former aviso the Premier-Maître L'Her, a decommissioned Estienne d'Orves-class vessel which had seen anti-piracy action in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean, performed her final service for the French Navy: as target practice.

The decontaminated vessel was sunk at a depth of 4,000 metres on December 14 after being struck by a live-armed F21 torpedo in an exercise to test new capabilities for the French submarines.

The F21, the latest-generation heavyweight torpedo developed by Naval Group, will be deployed on both the Rubis- and Suffren-class nuclear attack submarines, as per a recent press statement from the French Navy, as well as its Triomphant-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines.

The 50-knot electrically-propelled, wire-guided weapon has acoustic homing capabilities and can be used against surface vessels and other submarines. As per the DGA, the F21 torpedo represents has extended range, a faster strike speed, better detection capabilities and is stealthier than the F17 torpedo it has been designed to replace.

Chief of the French Navy Nicolas Vaujour commented: "This launch was a success. It testifies to the Navy's high level of preparedness, in a context of escalating conflicts and the complexity of air-sea operations."

He added: "The launch was carried out in the most realistic conditions possible, with scenarios adapted to the new threats."

• You can read more details on the French Navy website