France's 1st Nuclear Subs were SSBNs to hit Moscow, India & South Korea also SSBNs 1st

Uploaded May 2, 2026 - How France Built Its First Nuclear sub with little US help (except US HEU to fuel a land-based prototype of a nuclear submarine reactor in France). While the US and Soviets dominated the seas, French engineers quietly created the major arm (SSBNs) of then called Force de Frappe. ---

Generally nuclear submarine powers evolve their force from first sub - a prototype - then SSNs then SSBNs or visa versa. Only the US and Soviet Union had the money to build prototypes, SSNs AND SSBNs simultaneously. SSBNs are strategic deterrents.

Australia's SSN-AUKUSs will defend friendly SSBNs (like those of the US, India and eventually South Korea and Japan) and destroy enemy SSNs and SSBNs (like those of China, Russia and North Korea).

Both France and India built SSBNs first. Part of this is because their Bastion range (protected by surface ships and mainly maritime patrol aircraft (MPAs)) can be/were short. 

French Redoubtable-class SSBNs and see here and here (in the 1970s to early 2000s) needed to operate close to shore (mainly Bay of Biscay and later some northern European waters). This enabled them to put their relatively short range SLBMs (M1s/M2s/M20s and M4s (see below)) missiles with ranges of 2,500km to 5,000km to hit Moscow and some military-industrial Soviet/Russian/other Warsaw Pact targets including Kyiv (in Soviet Ukraine up to 1991).

"Due to the duration of the [Redoubtable-class] between 1971 and 1986, the main armament, sixteen SLBMs, varied in time, from the M1 to the M4. The M1 was a 1st generation SLBM, and was short-ranged, obliging these subs to patrol along the Norwegian coast or gulf of Genoa. The M1 was retired from service in 1975, replaced by the M2 until 1978, then the M20 with MIRVs, whereas the M4 with a new 6-MIRV warheads entered service in 1985 on FS Inflexible."

Staying close to home in the Bay of Biscay allowed the French Navy to easily protect and maintain constant communication with the SSBNs via the Île Longue nuclear submarine base near Brest.

India

Similarly Indian Arihant-class SSBNs were/are built to operate in the Bay of Bengal, protected by Indian MPAs, to put their K4 SLBMs in range of all Chinese targets up to and including Beijing. India's future SSNs may be in construction for 20 years (until the 2040s) before they are operational to defend the longer range missile SLBM S5 SSBNs.  

South Korea (SK)

SK is the only country in the world with SSBs (KSS-III Batch 1s and 2s) large enough to carry full size SLBMs. I conclude SK's first nuclear powered sub will be a prototype/testbed to acquire US nuclear sub technology. SK will then build "SSGNs" (de facto SSBNs) capable of carrying SLBMs in range of North Korean targets. These SLBMs will be notionally conventional warhead but quickly convertible to nuclear warheads.