A discreet weapon, very dissuasive, often unstoppable. With a strong power of nuisance. As part of global rearmament caused by the multiplication of international tensions and the return of high-intensity conflicts, many countries today want to modernize their submarine fleets, or create one in order to protect their exclusive economic zone ( EEZ), underwater cables, maritime routes or offshore assets…
“A nuclear or conventional submarine has such a deployment zone that it is the weapon of deterrence and protection of an area par excellence, explains an industrialist in the sector. When such a ship is anywhere, the threat is everywhere. With few of these ships, a navy is capable of protecting an extremely large maritime area. » As was the case in 1982 during the Falklands conflict between Great Britain and Argentina, which saw one of the cruisers sunk at the start of operations by a Royal Navy nuclear attack submarine (SNA). Result: the Argentine fleet remained docked until the end of the conflict.
Submarines: Naval Group in pole position in Argentina (Scorpène)
The world fleet of attack submarines is today estimated at 450 submersibles (excluding SSBNs, nuclear ballistic missile submarines), according to a study by the Groupement des industries de construction et activities navales (Gican), which will be unveiled on Monday at the military naval exhibition, Euronaval.
Between 2016 and 2023, shipyards delivered 53 conventional attack submarines worth around $25 billion and 21 nuclear-powered ones (around $30 billion) to navies around the world. Over this period, China produced 10 submersibles. Just like the United States. Four countries own more than half of the world's fleet: North Korea (64), Russia (59), China (57) and the United States (53). And this build-up of submarine forces is really far from over.
The United States out of the game
Naval Group, which designs conventionally powered submarines for export equipped with new lithium-ion batteries, is currently leading around ten commercial campaigns around the world (Poland, Romania, Morocco, Egypt, Philippines, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Chile and soon Canada, which wants to buy 12 submarines).
The French group already won a contract at the end of September for the manufacture of 4 conventional submarines (Blacksword Barracuda) in the Netherlands against its most formidable rival on the world market, the German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). He is also awaiting the coming into force of the contract soon with the payment of a deposit for the sale of 2 Scorpènes in Indonesia. Finally, he negotiated with New Delhi the terms of a contract for 3 other submarines. For its part, TKMS ruined the hopes of Naval Group in Norway (4 submarines) in 2017 and will deliver 3 new submarines to Israel.
This fast-growing market is attracting new shipyards, which are trying to torpedo the two world leaders, TKMS and Naval Group, with the United States being out of the game by focusing on the construction of nuclear submarines. Thus, the Spanish Navantia, the Swedish Saab, the two South Koreans Hanwha and Hyundai are trying to compete with the two leaders in Latin America, in Canada… just like China and Japan. As for Turkey, Pakistan, Iran and Taiwan (aided by Japan), these countries have also embarked on the construction of submersibles with a view to initially equipping their navy. Which will probably increase the risks.
