French nuclear submarine makes stop in Halifax

The French submarine Tourville is in Halifax this week.

Testing for one of the French navy’s newest Suffren-class nuclear attack submarines included two stops in Canada, first in Labrador City, now Halifax.

“We are very proud and happy to be here in Halifax. It’s the first time for this type of submarine,” said Cpt. Laurent Falhun, the ship’s commanding officer. “The aim of the mission is to proceed to trials in order to check if the submarine is OK to proceed to operation, future operations.”

The Tourville and its crew of 77 left France at the end of January. Testing the vessel in frigid water is an important part of the deployment.

“The performance was very, very good,” Falhun said.

Thierry Petit works for Naval Group, the company that built the new French subs.

‘It’s a way for the French Navy to test the submarine and to challenge the capacities of the submarine. There will be operational feedback and Naval Group will benefit from this feedback and of course, this feedback will be useful for us to provide to the Canadian Navy,” Petit said.

In July, the Department of National Defence requested information from submarine manufacturers for up to 12 vessels to replace the country’s four aging Victoria class subs.

The official release said, “Through the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), Canada will acquire a larger, modernized submarine fleet to enable the Royal Canadian Navy to covertly detect and deter maritime threats.”

“You’ve got three oceans. The Atlantic, the Pacific and the Arctic. You’ve got responsibilities in the NATO group, you’ve got challenges in the Pacific. Also so you need submarines able to operate alongside the Canadian Coast but elsewhere in the ocean and the northwest passage. The Arctic is a challenging sea so this is what is important,” Petit said.

Naval Group out of France built the latest Suffren-class vessel. Canada’s Department of National Defence is aiming to award a contract by 2028 and to have the new, conventionally-powered subs in the water no later that 2035.

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