French SSBNs Making Up for UK RN Shortfalls.

With the second Cold War, following Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Putin has issued increasing nuclear threats. Consequently French SSBNs increased their patrol numbers. See https://sldinfo.com/2022/03/france-and-the-ukraine-2022-crisis-france-sends-2nd-ssbn-to-sea/

"The [French] officer declined to confirm Le Telegramme, a regional paper, which reported March 1 [2022] a second French nuclear ballistic missile submarine has been ordered to take to sea.

“No comment. You have to call the other side of the Seine,” the officer said, referring to the president’s Elysée office.

This was the first sailing of two French nuclear missile boats since 1981, sparked by the Euromissile crisis, afternoon daily Le Monde reported. There is usually one nuclear ballistic missile submarine at sea."

Pete Comment

The "Euromissile Crisis" occurred between 1977 and 1987. 

In addition to the Russian threat France's 2022 increase in SSBN patrols was partly due to UK SSBN availability shortfalls. 

The doubling of French SSBNs on patrol (from the usual one to two - perhaps still in force?) came at a time that the UK RN was suffering an SSBN shortage. UK SSBN HMS Vanguard suffered an excessively long refit between 2015 until she finally resumed patrols in May 2023.

This French-British coordination is not unprecedented. After French SSBN  Triomphant and HMS Vanguard collided on February 3/4, 2009, both patrolling in the Atlantic, both navies agreed to cover it up. Russian satellites were quickly  aware both submarines had unusually surfaced. So the French-UK coverup was against the greater enemies - the French and UK tax paying publics.

It was a back-handed compliment that the 2 SSBNs were so undetectable, even at close range, that they pranged into each other.

It is likely there is some information sharing that has avoided a recurrence. Presumably the USN and UK RN also share information sufficient to avoid their SSBNs colliding in the Atlantic.