“L’Invincible”, the next nuclear-powered ballistic missible submarine

Construction began in February 2021. The first of the third-generation SSBNs, will sail in 2036 under the name Invincible. During a speech on nuclear deterrence in early March at Île Longue— the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine base—the President of the French Republic revealed the name chosen for the French Navy’s next SSBN. The final phase of industrial production was launched, leading to the delivery of the first submarine.

TechnicAtome is preparing for the modular assembly of the reactor, which is scheduled to begin in 2028. This modular assembly accounts for more than two-thirds of the construction operations and is carried out at Naval Group’s site in Nantes-Indret, prior to integration into the submarine in Cherbourg.

Building on the legacy of the K15-class reactor that powers the second-generation – Le Triomphant-class- SSBNs, the reactor systems for the 3G SSBN program is a bridge between the lower-power reactor systems of the Barracuda program and the significantly more powerful K22 reactor systems of the future nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. They incorporate a great number of innovations designed to enhance performance, availability, core lifespan, and safety.