FS Perle departs Naval Group's shipyard assisted by tugs to be loaded on board the heavy-lift vessel MV Rolldock Storm and transported to Toulon. (Naval Group)
The French Navy's fire-damaged Rubis-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) FS Perle (S 606) was transferred to Toulon naval base by heavy-lift barge on 31 October to resume its overhaul following an 11-month repair at Naval Group's shipyard in Cherbourg.
Perle was transferred to Cherbourg in December 2020 to repair the damage sustained during a fire that broke out on 12 June 2020 while the boat was in dry dock in Toulon going through its final 18-month major overhaul.
The fire damaged the submarine's forward section, with the extreme temperatures compromising the steel.
It was decided to cut the damaged forward section of Perle and replace it with the forward section of sister boat Saphir, which was retired from active service in July 2019.
Work to cut the pressure hulls, internal decks, and cables on Perle and Saphir was completed in February and March. In April the forward section of Saphir and aft section of Perle were aligned and in the following months the two sections were welded together. The forward section of Saphir was slightly longer than that detached from Perle , making the latter 1.4 m longer and 68 tonnes heavier. From May onwards, more than 130 electrical cables, 70 hydraulic pipes, and other fittings were reconnected.
Following its transfer to Toulon on 31 October, Perle
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