France’s Marine Nationale performed a SINKEX in December to test the F21 torpedo. Credit: Marine Nationale

In mid-December 2024 the French Navy (Marine Nationale) conducted a SINKEX exercise, with an unnamed Rubis or Suffren nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) firing an anti-ship torpedo at the decommissioned D’Estienne d’Orves-class light corvette, Premier Maître L’Her (F792).

The performance of a SINKEX is a relatively rare event for most European navies, with several years between each opportunity. On this occasion, the French Navy opted to perform its own SINKEX to test the performance of the F21 heavyweight torpedo, which is replacing the older F17 MOD2 system.

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The target vessel was a light corvette that was decommissioned earlier in 2024. Credit: Marine Nationale

According to imagery released by the French Ministry of Defence, the F21 torpedo detonated slightly aft of amidships under the keep of the Premier Maître L’Her, breaking the vessel’s back, with the two halves subsequently sinking.

A SINKEX offers navies the opportunity to test weaponry against live floating targets to exercise firing protocols and munitions systems against decommissioned warships, which have been stripped out potential pollutants and hazardous material.

France’s new heavyweight – the F21 torpedo

The F21 heavyweight torpedo has been qualified for all classes of French submarines, nuclear attack submarines (SSN) and nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN). In addition, Brazil selected the torpedo to arm its four French design Scorpène submarines, as has the Indian Navy with its Kalvari class, which is also derived from Naval Group’s original design.

According to manufacturer Naval Group, the F21 has been developed with cybersecurity capabilities to prevent interference during the torpedo’s transit phase and is able to be retargetted mid-deployment.

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The system was described as being in the “maturity phase” by a Naval Group official, speaking ahead of the Euronaval 2024 exhibition in November 2024.

Naval Group launched the torpedo during the Artémis programme led by the French Defence Procurement Agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement-DGA) in May 2018.

The forward section of the F21 houses the acoustic sensors and 200kg warhead, while the middle and rear sections accommodate energy, guidance, and control and propulsion systems respectively.

The torpedo uses wire guidance in the initial stages after firing, before employing acoustic homing in subsequent phases for autonomous detection and tracking of targets. It has a length of 6m, diameter of 0.53m and a weight of 1.5t.