Naval Group has carried out the first-ever refit of a nuclear-powered submarine using part of another submarine of the same class

Naval Group has reported on its first-ever repair in which the front end of a damaged nuclear submarine was replaced with the front end of another submarine of the same type.

Here's What We Know

The Rubis-class submarine Perle has returned to the French navy following the completion of repairs. The service said experts had inspected the submarine and confirmed its ability to return to service.

Naval Group did not disclose the cost of the repairs. Earlier it was reported that replacing the forward part, which was damaged in the fire, would cost €110 million, of which €60 million would be covered by the warranty and the rest by the French Defence Ministry.

The Perle submarine incident took place on 12 June 2020. The submarine caught fire during an overhaul in the Naval Group's dry dock. The 14-hour fire altered the properties of the steel in the forward section, rendering the submarine unusable.

The section housing the nuclear propulsion system was not damaged. It was also noted that there were no weapons or nuclear material on board at the time of the fire.

The Naval Group eventually cut the bow section and replaced it with the bow section of the decommissioned submarine Saphir. It was commissioned in 1984 and decommissioned a year before the Perle incident.

Source: Breaking Defense