On June 28, 2023, Vice-Admiral Jacques Fayard, Admiral Commanding the Submarine Forces and the Strategic Ocean Force (ALFOST) presided over a military ceremony on the occasion of the last sortie to sea of the commanders of the Casabianca nuclear attack submarine (SNA). This ceremony, the last before the withdrawal of the submarine from active service.
Captain Didier Cuny, first commander of the Casabianca in 1987, and second master engineer René Passel, now 96 years old, submariner assigned on board from December 15, 1945 to August 31, 1947 attended the ceremony alongside Commander Brice Lagniel, current and last commander of the SNA.
Admitted to active service in 1987, the Casabianca nuclear attack submarine is the third in the series of six French Rubis-class SSNs. SNAs are an essential component of the armed forces, they are both combat ships and instruments of power. In addition to their primary role in the security of the Strategic Ocean Force (Strategic Ocean Force (FOST), they participate in naval force protection and the knowledge/anticipation function. Based in Toulon, they are designed to sail 220 days a year, each armed by two crews of 75 men. Their nuclear propulsion is a major asset that allows them to deploy discreetly, quickly, far and for a long time.
The Casabianca inherited the material heritage, the wearing of the red fourragère of the Legion of Honor for its two crews (blue and red) as well as the right to fly the “Jolly Roger” flag. More than just a ship name, the Casabianca has become a strong symbol of submarine forces. Its heritage and traditions are therefore important, they form a formidable factor of cohesion and motivation for today’s crews.