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According to an unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com, DCN has received a contract for the total operational support of the 6 Rubis Amethyste Class nuclear-powered attack submarines operated by the French Navy and home-ported in Toulon, France. The deal is worth EUR 406 million (about $485 million) over four years, with a firm initial tranche worth EUR 80 million ($95 million). It extends the global contract approach adopted by the customer, the Service du Soutien de la Flotte (SSF, or Fleet Support Department) and consolidates all activities contributing to the operational support of French SSNs.
The submarine support deal extends DCN’s history in the area of fleet support, and also includes a number of innovative elements.
DCN has already signed similar operational support contracts with the French Navy, covering the operational support of SSN (initial contract signed in June 2003), nuclear-powered missile submarines, torpedoes, light frigates, fleet support ships, and major surface combatants.
This particular contract is innovative in that it calls for payment on the basis of the number of days the submarines are available, continuing the trend displayed in DCN’s recent major surface combatant support contract. Over the duration of the SSN-related contract, DCN guarantees the customer that each submarine will attain a high degree of safety and security, and a robust operational capability.
In addition to scheduled heavy service availabilities (IPER and IEI in French parlance) carried out by DCN employees, work covered by the contract includes routine maintenance, related logistics, engineering and related infrastructure. This contract will ensure the work-load of DCN Services Toulon until 2009.
Large sections of Thales’ Naval activities were recently merged into DCN with the ‘support’ of the French state, which retains a 75% share in the combined firm.