"Stronger Together" -Bruno Heluin
Why Did a Nuclear Powered French Submarine Surface Off the Coast of Nova Scotia?
On the Canadian border, a backpacker from Wales spent nearly three weeks at a detention center before flying home this week. And a Canadian woman on a work visa detained at the Tijuana border spent 12 days in detention before returning home last weekend.
Sielaff, 25, and the others say it was never made clear why they were taken into custody even after they offered to go home voluntarily.1
I certainly understand what is going down.
Trump is deadly serious about annexing Canada, and so denying Canadians entry, or as in the case quoted above detained, fits perfectly with such an objective.
As for the French visitor situation that too is painfully obvious to me, and it really should be obvious to anyone who actually knows how to think for themselves without reliance upon a corrupted MSM & Print press (now there is a soon to be archaic term), and put 2+2 together to produce 4our; and realize and reify the high-probability of the fact that France and Canada are suddenly accelerating the strengthening of Canada’s defense posture and capabilities with a show of secret force by having an armed submarine surface near Nova Scotia mere hundreds of miles away from Washington D.C.
My first thought while researching for this article, was if the Harris-Walz Administration had been in office (As they legitimately should be2) this would not at all be considered big news.
A French nuclear-powered attack submarine left locals bewildered after it surfaced in an eastern Canadian province, just 300 miles from the U.S. border.
The French Navy Suffren-class submarine, the FS Tourville, arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia
French nuclear attack sub mysteriously docks in Nova Scotia, 300 miles from US border3
My second thought was that it was unusual for the vessel to emerge where and when it did; coincidence you say, yes indeed I do (on the subject of coincidence see the following: A Voice Without a Mask).
(Photo hosted at SeaWaves Magazine)
The vessel in question is what is termed/typed as a Barracuda class Suffren class and was, at that time being readied to enter into its trial phase—
On 20 July 2023, the third submarine of the Barracuda class has left its construction hall in order to be transferred to the DME floating platform-type shiplift. It is part of a series of six SSNs that will gradually replace the submarines of the Rubis-class currently in service within the French Navy.
This submarine is the third in the Barracuda class. Its rollout is a key step in the program’s progress which will lead to the beginning for its sea trials in 2024. Prior to this, completion work and initial tests will be carried out at quayside.
Received by the French Navy on “November 16, 2024” it “marked a new crucial stage in the life of the nuclear attack submarine (SNA) Tourville.”4 (See also Third Suffren-Class Submarine Delivered To French Navy)
Following the various tests carried out during the first phase of the verification of military characteristics (VCM1) , the submarine Tourville was delivered by Naval Group to the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and accepted by the French Navy. This acceptance constitutes an essential milestone before the vessel 's admission to active service (ASA).5
It was announced on November 19, 2024 that “The nuclear attack submarine, named Tourville, has undergone successful sea trials.” and the “Naval Group has delivered the French Navy’s third of six Barracuda nuclear attack submarines (SNA), Tourville, to the Directorate-General for Armaments (DGA) during a ceremony in Brest.”6
Prior to its delivery to the French Navy-
During a four-month sea trials programme, which commenced on 12 July 2024, the 99 metre long Tourville submarine underwent various tests and its performance was thoroughly tested.7
And it was further reported that—
The French Navy will now proceed with operational testing, aiming for the new submarine to enter active service by 2025.8
Its arrival point is now its home port, Toulon, France
While the Independent reported that the vessel—
According to the French Embassy in Canada, the FS Tourville is expected to carry out experiments in the far north of Canada and test navigation in icy conditions.
“After experiments with basic ground-laying in the Canadian far north and navigation in ice, Franco-Canadian cooperation was strengthened with the stopover of the SNA TOURVILLE, the latest attack submarine,” Bruno Heluin, the Defense Attaché at the French Embassy in Ottawa posted on LinkedIn Monday in a post translated by Google.9
Now at this point in time the question that entered my mind was the story seems to imply that the vessel has just arrived at the North-East corner quadrant of the North-American continent, as described below—
“This Marine Nationale ship has just made its first transatlantic crossing. It is an excellent opportunity to share operational, human and industrial expertise. At a time when Canada is announcing that it wants to revive its submarine capacity, France can undeniably bring a unique know-how.”
“Stronger together,” he signed off.
And yet knowing military matters as I do, and understanding the current Trumpian-fiasco that is manifestly threatening Canada and other nations who at one time befriended America, the signal broadcast by this coincidence was pretty clear to me; so I decided to dig.
Here is what I found:
Earlier in the opening months of the year a large-scale international military exercise had taken place.
Australia, India, Japan, Korea, and the U.S. Complete Multinational Exercise Sea Dragon 2025, 19 March 202510
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Exercise Sea Dragon 2025 (SD25) successfully concluded at Andersen Air Force Base , Guam, marking the completion of two weeks of intensive multinational anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training, March 18, 2025.11 [Emphasis added RJREI]
I
Hosted by Commander, Task Force (CTF) 72, the exercise brought together participants from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Indian Navy (IN), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), and the United States Navy.12
See
"CTF 72 was proud to host Sea Dragon 2025 from Andersen AFB, Guam," said Lt. Cmdr. Dan O’Keefe, assigned to Theater Security Cooperation, CTF 72. "This annual, multilateral ASW exercise included a competition phase and provided an opportunity for continuous multilateral ASW prosecution against simulated targets."13
What
As with previous years, SD25 included a competitive component in which each nation’s performance was assessed and graded to earn the Dragon Belt award, testing each nation’s ASW tactics and response effectiveness in a realistic scenario.14
Happened.
A French Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine is also deployed with the CSG, but the French Navy has not publicly disclosed any of the submarine’s activity.15
The entire exercise was centered, focused, and necessary, as it is every year, for the purpose of training myriads of military personnel from multiple partner countries towards attaining their “Certificate In Anti-Submarine Warfare.16”
While most professional reporting, and civilian reporting focused primarily on the major players in the exercise, Australia, India, Japan, Korea, and the U.S.,17 I, as is my habit, went rabbit-hunting.
What did I find? For starters while Exercise Sea Dragon was underway, a separate exercise had been conducted during the same overall time period named Cobra Gold—
U.S. Marine Corps cyberspace operations personnel with 9th Communication Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, recently participated in the Exercise Cobra Gold 2025 cyber exercise, a multinational collective training event that brought together over 150 personnel from eight allied and partner nations, including Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia. The CYBEREX, which took place from Feb. 23 to March 7, aimed to improve defensive capabilities and promote interoperability in a realistic and challenging training environment, conduct intelligence fusion, and exercise the standing operating procedures of multinational forces.18
By now I imagine you are wondering where the French Navy is in all this, as they have not yet been mentioned in any of the cited sources. Well hold on to your horses—There was a third exercise underway in the Philippine Sea involving the U.S., France, and Japan.
Exercise Pacific Stellar 2025 is where I am confident we will find our mystery solved.19,20
The exercise was “the first-ever military Hackathon at sea” and it was hosted by both the U.S. and French navies.21
The French CSG’s participation included carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R91), destroyer FS Forbin (D620), frigates FS Provence (D652) and FS Alsace (D656) and fleet oiler FS Jacques Chevallier (A725), in addition to two French Navy Atlantique 2 MPAs forward-deployed to the region to support the CSG. A French Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine is also deployed with the CSG, but the French Navy has not publicly disclosed any of the submarine’s activity. Japan deployed Kaga, destroyer JS Akizuki (DD-115) and a P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft for the exercise.22
So then the actual timeline for the the French Navy Suffren-class submarine the FS Tourville was reversed by the reporting in the Independent, the real reasons the submarine surfaced off the coast of Nova Scotia, was to take on supplies of food and give the Submariners Shore leave before they resumed their journey back for the second trip across the Atlantic Ocean, in fact it is probably underway right now as the one thing the Independent got right was its departure date—
According to Canadian news channel CTV News, the submarine is expected to remain in the harbor until March 21.23
The entire incident, as poorly reported by The Independent, was actually a message to the USA, as well as an active show of force and stealth that any competent American Admiral or General would understand PERFECTLY! They would then wisely, on both sides of the pond expect and welcome the opportunity to be able to make loud and clear to the now American Commander-in-Chief just how dangerous his foolishness actually is and how he and Musk have turned our country into a Target.
End of line.
Thank you for reading,
Robert J. Rei, March 21, 2025
This article contains zero AI input and was researched and written entirely by the author.
"Stronger Together" -Bruno Heluin: Why Did a Nuclear Powered French Submarine Surface Off the Coast of Nova Scotia? © 2025 by Robert J. Rei is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
U.S. detention of European and Canadian tourists creates fear over traveling to America, Julie Watson, March 21, 2025, Associated Press, PBS News, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-detention-of-european-and-canadian-tourists-creates-fear-over-traveling-to-america
French nuclear attack sub mysteriously docks in Nova Scotia, 300 miles from US border, James Liddell, March 14, 2025, Independent, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/french-nuclear-submarine-us-border-canada-tourville-b2715069.html
The Navy receives its third Suffren-class submarine, Ministry of Armed Forces, French Navy, November 19, 2024, https://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/actualites/marine-receptionne-son-3eme-marin-type-suffren
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Australia, India, Japan, Korea, and the U.S. Complete Multinational Exercise Sea Dragon 2025, 19 March 2025, From Commander, Task Force 72 Public Affairs, https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/4124332/australia-india-japan-korea-and-the-us-complete-multinational-exercise-sea-drag/
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Anti-Submarine Warfare Certificate, Naval Postgraduate School, https://nps.edu/documents/104395560/0/ASW_170403_Brochure/d197bfc7-9149-4ed3-9e73-3fa7cefbedc3
Australia, India, Japan, Korea, and the U.S. Complete Multinational Exercise Sea Dragon 2025, Commander, official U.S. Navy website, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Photo Gallery, March 13, 2025, https://www.cpf.navy.mil/Photo-Gallery/igphoto/2003669582/
Cobra Gold CYBEREX: U.S. Marines, Joint Force, Allies Integrate Cyber and Conventional Warfare Training, Capt. Mark McDonough, March 15, 2025, Korat, Thailand, Marine Rotational Force - Southeast Asia, Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), U.S. Department of Defense, https://www.dvidshub.net/news/492965/cobra-gold-cyberex-us-marines-joint-force-allies-integrate-cyber-and-conventional-warfare-training
U.S., Japan and French Naval Forces Wrap Up Drills in Philippine Sea, Dzirhan Mahadzir, February 19, 2025, US Naval Institute News (USNI), https://news.usni.org/2025/02/19/u-s-japan-and-french-naval-forces-wrap-up-drills-in-philippine-sea
U.S., French Sailors Hold Hackathon at Sea; U.S., Allies Hold Sub Warfare Drills in Guam, Dzirhan Mahadzir, March 19, 2025, US Naval Institute News (USNI), https://news.usni.org/2025/03/19/u-s-french-sailors-hold-hackathon-at-sea-u-s-allies-hold-sub-warfare-drills-in-guam
US, French host first-ever military Hackathon at sea, Ensign Rachael Jones, March 16, 2025, Philippine Sea, Carrier Strike Group ONE - CSG 1, Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense, https://www.dvidshub.net/news/492989/us-french-host-first-ever-military-hackathon-sea
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