A Nimitz-class naval aircraft carrier was “destroyed” by an old French submarine

What you need to know: During a 2015 war game, the French Rubis-class submarine Saphir demonstrated surprising prowess by “sinking” the American supercar USS Theodore Roosevelt, highlighting weaknesses in the U.S. Navy’s anti-submarine defenses.

Much like the success of the Swedish Gotland against the USS Ronald Reagan in 2005, Saphir’s stealth and agility allowed it to evade Carrier Strike Group defenses.

While these incidents highlight the potential of relatively humble submarines, they also highlight the challenges facing supercars, especially as the continued evolution of smaller, cheap threats such as drones and missiles. The lessons learned will be critical to U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.

A lesson in humility for the Navy: French submarine defeats US aircraft carrier in 2015

The US aircraft carrier is the most expensive and sophisticated warship ever built. Costing several billion dollars and accommodating many thousands of sailors, a modern supercar should not be exposed to attacks by smaller, cheaper ships.

At least not in theory. But as one relatively humble French submarine proved in a 2015 war game, the American supercar is not invincible. Not almost.

A humbling loss for the US Navy

Interaction between a French Rubis-class submarine in 2015 Sapphireand an American Nimitz-class submarine USS Theodore Rooseveltwouldn’t be a complete surprise. The Sapphire managed to “sink”. Roosevelt in a war game, which is a surprise on paper, yes.

But the incident occurred just ten years after another similar incident involving Swedes Gotland.

In 2005 Gotland successfully “sunk” the USS Ronald Reagan during war exercises. The Sapphire the incident ten years later was quite similar; the Sapphire it slipped past the Carrier Strike Group, which was defending Ronald Reaganand dealt a fatal blow.

The Sapphire incident i Gotland incident, served as a harbinger of the problems facing U.S. transportation forces today in the Middle East, where relatively Houthis disrupt US carriers by deploying high-tech drones and missiles.

The French Navy is of course not a rag. But Sapphire it is not a machine with the range and sophistication of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. So the reality in which Sapphire can cause significant harm Roosevelt it was probably disturbing and embarrassing.

To stop bad press and intelligence that would embolden adversaries like Russia and China, the U.S. Navy purged the Internet Sapphire incident, hoping to suppress news of their inadequate anti-submarine capabilities.

Rubis-class submarine – smaller opponent

The Rubis class The submarine isn’t exactly the kind of adversary you’d expect to “sink” an American supercar. In time Saphira-Roosevelt war game, Sapphire it was already a thirty-year-old ship, not a modern submarine. Smaller and lightly armed than most NATO submarines, Rubis is not known for its destructive capabilities.

The Sapphire was built of modest dimensions.

The length is 73.6 m, the width is 7.6 m, and the draft is 6.4 m. For comparison, the American Ohio-class submarine is 170 meters long. The Sapphire displacement 2,400 tons and is based on a CAS-48 pressurized water nuclear reactor, one electric motor and an auxiliary single-shaft diesel generator. The propulsion system is capable of generating a maximum speed of twenty-five knots. The Sapphire can operate at depths up to 980 feet. Like other modern nuclear-powered submarines, Sapphire technically, it can operate for twenty to twenty-five years at a time, although a submarine typically makes forty-five-day voyages.

Let’s hope so Sapphire the incident allowed the United States Navy to obtain valuable information about anti-submarine warfare shortcomings. Hopefully these insights have led to reforms. Because any future conflict in the Indo-Pacific will depend on the survival of the aircraft carrier.

About the author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer who has written over 1,000 articles on global issues. Harrison, a lawyer, pilot, guitarist and minor professional hockey player, joined the United States Air Force as a pilot trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a bachelor’s degree from Lake Forest College, a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, and a master’s degree from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

Image source: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock. The main photo shows a Ford-class aircraft carrier undergoing a shock test.