The submarines of France include nuclear attack submarines and nuclear ballistic missile submarines of various classes, operated by the French Navy as part of the French Submarine Forces. France also builds Scorpène-class submarines for international buyers; the Brazilian submarine Álvaro Alberto, a nuclear-powered boat, will be developed from this platform.
Each French Navy vessel, including submarines, has their respective fanion insignia for military awards and decorations.
In service Nuclear attack submarines
(1992–present)
Suffren (Q284/S635) (2020–present) Duguay-Trouin (S636) (2023–present) Tourville (S637) (2024–present) De Grasse (S638) (Delivered June 2026; working up to full operational capability)
Nuclear ballistic missile submarines
(1997–present) (1999–present) (2004–present) (2010–present)
Planned
Nuclear attack submarines
(Laid down 2019) (Laid down 2020)
Nuclear ballistic missile submarines SNLE 3G-class L'Invincible (first steel cut 2024)
Retired from service Each French submarine from Gymnote onwards when ordered/constructed was given a sequential hull number (prefixed by the letter 'Q'). The sequence included submarines built in France for foreign navies, accounting for several gaps in the 'Q' numbering below.
1863 to 1903 (1863–1872) (Q1) (1888–1908) (Q2) (1893–1909) (Q3) (1899–1909) (Q4) (1900–1909) Sirène class (1901–1919) (Q5) (Q6) (Q13) (Q14) (1901–1913) (Q7) renamed Follet (1908–1913) (Q8) (Q9) (Q10) (1901–1914) (Q11) (Q12) (1903–1914) (Q15) (Q16) (Q17) (Q18) (Q19) (Q20) (Q21) (Q22) (Q23) (Q24) (Q25) (Q26) (Q27) (Q28) (Q29) (Q30) (Q31) (Q32) (Q33) (Q34)
1904 to 1919 Experimental types (varying designs) (Q35) – renamed Dauphin 13 February 1911 (1904–1914) (Q36) (Q37) – (1905–1909) Aigrette class (1904–1919) (Q38) (Q39) (Q40) Émeraude class (1906–1919) (Q41) (Q42) (Q43) (Q44) (Q45) (Q46) (1907–1918) (Q47) (Q48)
Guèpe 1 (Q49) Guèpe 2 (Q50)
(Q51) (Q52) (Q53) (Q54) (Q55) (Q56) (Q57) (Q58) (Q59) (Q64) (Q65) (Q66) (Q67) (Q68) (Q69) (Q75) (Q76) (Q77) (Q73) (1909–1919) (Q89) (1911–1915) (Q74) (1911–1915) (1911–1930) (Q60) (Q62) (Q63) (Q70) (Q71) (Q72) (Q78) (Q79) (Q80) (Q81) (Q83) (Q84) (Q85) (Q86) (Q87) (Q88) (Q82) (1912–1919) (1913–1926) (Q90) (Q91) (1913–1937) (Q92) (Q93) (1914–1935) (Q94) (Q95) (Q96) (Q97) (Q98) (Q99) (Q100) (Q101) (1914–1935) (Q102) (Q103) (Q104)
(1915–1935) (Q105) (Q106) Diane class (1915–1935) (Q107) (Q108) (1915–1935) (SD 2) ex-Japanese (SD 3) ex-Greek (SD 4) ex-Greek (1917–1935) (Q109) (Q110) Six more of this class (Q115-Q120) were in the 1915 Programme but were cancelled (never named)
(1917–1937) (Q111) (Q112) (Q113) (Q114) UA class (Germany) (1918–1937) Jean-Autric (ex U-105) Léon Mignot (ex U-108) Pierre Marast (ex U-162) Jean Roulier (ex U-166) UE class (Germany) (1918–1935) Victor Reveille (ex U-79) René Audry (ex U-119) German Type U 139 submarine (Germany) (1918–1935) Helbronn (ex U-139) German Type UB II submarine (Germany) (1916–1937) Roland Morillot (ex UB-23) Trinité-Schillemans (ex UB-94) Carissan (ex UB-99) Jean Corre (ex UB-155)
1919 to 1944
(1919–1935) O'Byrne
Minelaying submarine (1922–1936) Minelaying submarine (1923–1936) 600 Series (1925–1946) (1925–1942)
(1925–1942) Commanded by Jean-Marie Querville (1903–1967) between 1934 and 1936 (Q123) (Q124) (Q132) (Q133) (1927–1942) (Q125) (Q126) (Q134) Commanded by Jean Favreul (1898–1940) between 1939 and 1940 (Q135) (1932–1946) (NN7) (NN6) (Q162) (Q176) (Q177) (1932–1943) (Q165) (Q166) (1932–1946) (NN4) (NN5) (Q159) (Q160) (Q161) (Q163) (Q164) (Q174) (Q175) Requin class (1926–1946) (Q115) Commanded by Jean-Marie Querville (1903–1967) between 1936 and 1938, and Benoit Lejay (1905–1941) between 1940 and 1941. (Q116) (Q117) (Q118) (Q119) (Q120) (Q127) (Q128) (Q129) Saphir class Minelaying submarines (1930–1949) (Q145) (Q146) (Q152) Commanded by Georges Cabanier (Q158) Commanded by Jean Favreul (1898–1940) in 1933. (Q173) (Q184) Redoutable class (1931–1952) Type M-5 (Q136) (Q137) Type M-6 (Q138) (Q139) (Q140) Commanded by Bertrand de Sausssine du Pont de Gault (1903–1940) (Q141) (Q142) (Q143) (Q144) (Q147) Commanded by Jean Favreul (1898–1940) between 1937 and 1939. (Q148) (Q149) (Q150) (Q151) (Q153) (Q154) (Q155) (Q156) (Q157) (Q167) (Q168) (Q169) (Q170) (Q171) (Q172) (Q178) Commanded by Pierre Lancelot (1901–1957) in 1940. (Q179) (Q180) (Q181) (Q182) (Q183) (1934–1942)Commanded by Raymond de Belot (1899–1976) between 1930 and 1933, and Georges Louis Nicolas Blaison (1906–1942) between 1941 and 1942.
(1936–1954) (Q185) Commanded by Jean-Marie Querville (1903–1967) between 1941 and 1943. (Q186) (Q187) (Q188) (Q189) (Q190) (1943–1946)
(1940–1960)
– never completed
Antigone (Q202) – construction abandoned 1940 Andromaque (Q203) – construction abandoned 1940
Armide (Q207) – construction abandoned 1940 Hermione (Q211) – construction abandoned 1940 Gorgone (Q212) – construction abandoned 1940 Clorinde (Q213) – construction abandoned 1940 Cornélie (Q214) – construction abandoned 1940 Roland Morillot class (cancelled 1940)
unnamed (Q228) unnamed (Q229) unnamed (Q230) Minelaying submarines (authorised only, cancelled 1940) Émeraude (Q197) Agate (Q208) Corail (Q209) Escarboucle (Q210) (cancelled 1940) Vendémiaire (Q215) Brumaire (Q216) Frimaire (Q217) Nivôse (Q218) Pluviôse (Q219) Ventôse (Q220) Germinal (Q221) Floréal (Q222) Prairial (Q223) Messidor (Q224) Thermidor (Q225) Fructidor (Q226) Phénix (Q227)
1944 to 1971 German Type VII submarine (Germany) (1944–1963) Millé (ex ) (ex ) (Germany) (1945–1959) German Type IX submarine () Blaison (ex ) Bouan (ex ) Type XXI submarine (Germany) (1946–1967) (ex U-2518) Type XXIII submarine (Germany) (1946)
(United Kingdom) (1951–1959) Sibylle (ex – ) Saphir (ex – ) Sirène (ex – ) Sultane (ex – ) Narval class (1957–1992) (Q231) (Q232) (Q233) (Q234) (Q237) (Q238) (1958–1981) (Q235) (Q236) (Q239) (Q240) (1964–1996) (Q241) (Q242) (Q243) Commanded by Bernard de Truchis de Lays (1936–1970) (Q245) (Q246) (Q247) Commanded by André Fauve (1935–1968) (Q248) (Q249) (Q250) (Q253) (Q254) (Q251) (1966–1986)
1971 to present
(1971–2008) Le Redoutable (Q252) (1971–1991) (Q255) (1973–1996) (Q257) (1974–1998) L'Indomptable (1976–2005) (1980–1999) L'Inflexible (1985–2008) (1977–2001) (1977–1997) (1977–1998) (1978–2000) (1978–2001)
(1984–) (1984–2019) Rubis (S601) (1983–2022) (1987–2023) (1988–2024) (1993–2026)
See also List of active French Navy ships List of Escorteurs of the French Navy List of battleships of France List of aircraft carriers of France List of French Air and Space Force aircraft squadrons
Notes
References
Les Sous-Marins de la Marine Nationale (Submarines of the French Navy) Henri Le Masson Du Nautilus (1800) au Redoutable (Presses de la Cité, Paris, 1969)
External links www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk – Classes of French Submarines uboat.net – History, French & Allied Submarines in World War II