Submarines
The French nuclear submarine Perle, which was badly damaged in a fire in June last year, will be able to return to service in three years. However, this will not be quite an ordinary repair: the submarine will be cut in half, the damaged part will be separated from it, and the "healthy" half from the exact same, but decommissioned boat will be installed instead.
Perle is the sixth and last in a series of Rubis-class submarines. They are the world's smallest nuclear submarines, only 72 meters long, with a displacement of 2,680 tons and a crew of 70 people, armed with four 533-mm torpedo tubes that can fire both guided torpedoes and an underwater version of the Exocet missile system. The French Navy plans to abandon the Rubis-class submarines and replace them with more modern Suffren-class submarines.
Submarines
Submarines
However, the loss of Perle is a serious blow to the combat readiness of the French fleet, so it was decided to restore it. During the fire, the nose part was mainly damaged, which became unusable. The second half with the nuclear reactor remained intact. The updated boat will consist of the" transplanted "bow of the decommissioned boat "Saphir"and the" native " stern. Engineers are currently leveling the boat halves. After that, they will be welded together and hundreds of cables and connectors will be connected. This was made possible thanks to digital engineering technology, which allows you to see a full 3D model of the object. After the "operation", the updated Perle will be 1.3 m longer and 68 tons heavier.
