France cuts 2 SSNs in half, combines them to make new one

[Haijun watcher]

That's one way to save a ship from the scrappers... maybe they should have done this with the Los Angeles class SSN Miami instead of hurriedly scrapping her?

CNN / CTV News

France cuts two nuclear-powered submarines in half to make one new one
Brad Lendon
CNN
Published Thursday, April 15, 2021 12:14AM EDT

A French nuclear-powered submarine severely damaged by fire last year has been saved from the scrapyard -- by cutting it in two and welding the salvageable half to part of another decommissioned sub.

An intense 14-hour-long accidental fire on the attack submarine Perle while it was in dry dock for repairs last June left the front section of the boat unusable, according to the French Defense Ministry. It suffered structural damage to steel components that could not be repaired.

But the rear half of the 241-foot-long (73 metres) submarine, which has a displacement of 2,600 tons, was not damaged during the fire at a shipyard in Toulon, southern France.

(...SNIPPED)

[maxim]

The US Navy combined two Los Angeles class SSN into one, but not two halves, but only the bow section (500 t) of USS Honolulu to repair USS San Francisco, which had collided in 2005 with undersea mountain.

[Iceman 29]

Le Saphir in th� dry dock and la Perle aft.



Cutting:



The front of la Perle on the left, in the center, the part of the back of la perle, and at the top right the back of the Saphir.