« Les atomes de la mer » : the history of French nuclear propulsion

As our company celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, a book by two historians dedicated to the history of French nuclear propulsion has just been published, perfectly timed, by Éditions du Cherche Midi.

With a foreword by the Chief of Naval Operations, this book is the culmination of extensive research—research that was necessary but had never been undertaken until now. It chronicles the various chapters of this extraordinary and little-known adventure, which began in the immediate postwar period and enabled France to join the very exclusive circle of countries possessing the technology capable of sustaining oceanic deterrence. From the land-based prototype to the Suffren, via the Redoutable, the Rubis, and the Charles de Gaulle, the CEA and TechnicAtome are at the heart of this story.