Both the French Defense Ministry and the Navy released and then quickly deleted a news post entitled “Le SNA Saphir en entraînement avec l’US Navy au large de la Floride” (“The SNA Sapphire in training with the US Navy off the coast of Florida”) that praised the 34-year-old French nuclear submarine’s success in “sinking” the American aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt along with best part of its escort.
Le SNA #Saphir en
entraînement avec l’@USNavy au large de la
#Floridehttp://t.co/pprTsENmS1#GalaxieColsBleus
— Marine nationale (@MarineNationale)
March 4, 2015
The news, before it was deleted was spotted by several outlets,
including The Aviationist blog, which disclosed the
information which the French authorities initially shared.
The aim of the military games off the coast of Florida which began in mid-February were meant to test the newly upgraded carrier, which had undergone a four year, $2.6 billion overhaul, ahead of the Strike Group's deployment. The drills involved practicing scenarios of hostile ship boarding, submarine attacks, and enemy ships battles.
The service conducts “full-ship shock trials” the USS Roosevelt
http://t.co/z8zBaEZt2Apic.twitter.com/VJCawndfjQ
— Brian Dreyer (@Bwdreyer) January
19, 2015
During the first phase of the 10 days naval exercises, the French
Saphir sub was part of the so-called friendly force to support
anti-submarine warfare.
However, in the second phase of the games, the Saphir turned foe and was integrated with the imaginary enemy forces. Its mission become to locate Theodore Roosevelt and to prepare an attack on the strike group by guiding the ships.
During that last stage of the drills, the French sub snuck up undetected on US Carrier Strike Group 12 by penetrating a US defensive screen.
“The Saphir has quietly slipped into the heart of the screen formed by the American frigates protecting the aircraft carrier, while avoiding detection against-pervasive air assets ,” the original release read as quoted by French Challenges blog. “On the morning of the last day, the order of fire was finally given, allowing the Saphir to fictitiously sink Theodore Roosevelt and most of its escort.”
No other details are available about the outcome of the exercise. The strike group will be deployed later this year to provide an overseas forward presence and maintain US maritime security abroad.
MT @MarineNationale#COMPTUEX
du #CSG
Theodore Roosevelt : Le #SNA #Saphir en
chasse http://t.co/2Gv7BNBKCP pic.twitter.com/1xrGtKyDFr
— Marquis de Seignelay (@FauteuilColbert)
February 17, 2015
