Aréthuse-class submarine
The conning tower of Argonaute | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Aréthuse class |
| Operators | French Navy |
| Preceded by | Narval class |
| Succeeded by | Daphné class |
| In service | 1958–1982 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Retired | 4 |
| Preserved | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 49.6 m (162 ft 9 in) |
| Beam | 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in) |
| Draught | 4 m (13 ft 1 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Complement | 40 |
| Sensors & processing systems | DUUA I sonar |
| Armament | 4 × 550 mm (21.7 in) torpedo tubes (8 torpedoes carried) |
The Aréthuse class were submarines built for the French Navy (French: Marine Nationale) in the 1950s. They were designed as attack submarines for anti-submarine warfare and were referred to as Sous-marins de Chasse by the French Navy. These submarines had advanced sensors and were very quiet. They were influenced by the World War II German Type XXIII U-boats. The Daphné class are an enlarged version built for the French, Pakistani, Portuguese, Spanish and South African navies.