French Navy tests F21 heavyweight torpedo in first live firing

On December 14, a French Navy nuclear attack submarine (SSN) fired an F21 heavyweight torpedo at a real target: the hull of the former Chief Petty Officer L'Her, which had been previously cleaned up.

The launch was the first live firing of the F21 and confirms new capabilities for the French Navy's submarines.

The firing was carried out with combat ammunition, not test ammunition, a heavy F21 torpedo capable of destroying surface or underwater threats.

As part of the Polaris approach, this experiment has made it possible to test the capabilities of this new-generation weaponry, said the French Navy.

Designed to be equipped on the Rubis- and Suffren-class nuclear attack submarines, as well as the navy's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, the F21 torpedo represents an evolution in the armament of these units, with stealth capabilities, range of action, strike speed and detection capabilities superior to previous weapons.