WITH a good submarine, a navy can do amazing things. Ask the French. They’ve just managed to “sink” a nuclear-powered US super carrier — and half its battle group.

The French Ministry of Defence has revealed one of its attack submarines pulled of an astounding upset during recent war-games in the North Atlantic.

The Aviationist blog spotted an article on the French defence force’s website — quickly withdrawn — which told how one of their submarines, the “Saphir” tackled the might of the United States’ navy off the coast of Florida.

At the core of the surface force was the enormous aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its powerful strike wing of 90 combat aircraft and helicopters.

Clustered protectively about it was several advanced cruisers and destroyers, and its own guardian submarine.

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In one element of the war games, the Saphir was tasked with the role of being the “bad guy”.

It’s mission: To seek, locate and exterminate the US naval force.

The exact details of how it achieved this embarrassing outcome is not known.

Somehow, the French submarine must have been able to slip between the defensive sensor patchwork of patrol aircraft, helicopters, warships and submarines to line up a shot on the $13 billion monstrosity.

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There she lurked as a fictitious political crisis evolved in the world above.

On the final day of the exercise, the order finaly came.

Sink the Theodore Roosevelt.

This 30-year-old Saphir proceeded to do. Along with most of the escorting warships.

The outcome of such war-games are usually kept a close secret. Not only does a result such as the above have the potential to be politically embarrassing for the losing side, it also exposes the existence of weaknesses any future enemy may exploit.

But rumours abound of similar significant victories by minor nations against the titanic icons of America’s naval might.

Both aircraft carriers and submarines are facing increased scrutiny as to their role in future defence forces.

Both are immensely expensive. Both project immense power.

But their abilities to survive a modern hi-tech battlefield with ever increasing enhancements in sensors and weapons has been called to question in recent years.