France Aims at Expanding Market for conventional submarines

At this week’s Euronaval exhibition, France’s DCN shipyards group has unveiled two new submarine designs for the export market: the Marlin, an updated variant of the Scorpene design, and the SMX-23 coastal submarine.

Already offered to potential customers, the SMX-23 is a small boat, displacing 855 metric tons and 48.8 meters long. “Industry has tended to aim for high-performance submarine designs, while naval budgets are shrinking,” says Jean Gauthier, a DCN naval architect specialized in conventional submarines.

Recent export contracts, such as those concluded with Chile or Malaysia, have covered only two boats, which is the minimum number to establish a submarine force. “Navies that have not been able to acquire a submarine capability because of financial constraints will now be able to, and what’s more will be able to buy more than two,” says Gauthier.

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