A fire has affected Friday, June 12, mid-morning, the nuclear submarine attack (SNA) Pearl, who is in a technical stop at the naval base of Toulon. No injuries is deplorable, and there were neither weapons, nor nuclear fuel, or battery on board, according to a press release from the maritime prefecture of the Mediterranean. Var-Matinrapporte the release of a " thick white smoke ", and the prefecture ensures that these fumes are " not radioactive ".

firefighters during fire fighting to the sub-marine Pearl, June 12, 2020 at Toulon. © SDIS 83 / maritime Prefecture of the MéditerrannéeArrivée at the naval base of Toulon for seamen-firemen of Marseilles with 11 specialist vehicles, Friday, June 12, in the afternoon. © Maritime prefecture of the Mediterranean / SDIS83Le has caught fire around 10: 35 at the front of the Pearl, which is from the January 13, 2020 a project IPER (interruption for maintenance and repairs) under the project management of the Naval Group and under the responsibility of the Service support of the fleet (Navy). The marine brigade of Toulon, of military trained for this type of intervention is sensitive, and the fire department of the Var have taken part in the operations of fire fighting, coordinated by the admiral Laurent Isnard, maritime prefect of the Mediterranean and the former commander of special operations. A convoy of 11 vehicles specialized and thirty soldiers of the battalion of seamen-firemen of Marseilles joined the site Friday afternoon, and the teams were still in the course of the intervention. The estimate of the damage could take several days.

The underwater nuclear attack "Pearl" arrives in Toulon, on the 26th of April 2018. Archive Photo. © Fabien EUSTACHE / Ministry of ArméesPas of nuclear missiles

The SNA does not have nuclear propulsion : they do not implement the nuclear missiles, in contrast to the nuclear submarines launchers of machines (SSBN). This fire comes on the same day as the announcement by the ministry of the Armies of the successful completion of a firing test of ballistic missile M51 for the SSBN The Bold, off the coast of Finistère.

[#InterventionSNAToulon] Intervention ongoing under coordination VAE Isnard, commander district maritime Mediterranean.
Teams of sailors-firefighters @MarineNationale and firemen @SDIS83 coordinate to fight against fire on board ANS Pearl. pic.twitter.com/xe37RolJ81

— maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean (@Premarmed) June 12, 2020