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The Submarine Forces of France (French: Forces Sous-Marines, FSM) is one of the four main components of the French Navy. This Submarine Force regroups the ensemble of French submarines types.
French submarine command is a self-sufficient command made up of two components:
French submarine forces are armed with over 4000 military and civilian personnel out of which 2000 Submariners.
The général naval officer (French: ), Commandant of the Strategic Oceanic Force (French: Commandant la Force Océanique Stratégique, ALFOST), ensures the commandment of submarine forces, under the authority of the Chief of Staff of the French Navy (French: Chef d'Etat-Major de La Marine).
The first submarine which avoided human propulsion was Plongeur of the French Imperial Navy (French: ), launched in 1863, and equipped with an air compressed motor of 23 reservoirs of pressure at 180 PSI.
In 1888, Gymnote was the first submarine to be equipped with specific metal batteries. Gymnote would be followed by Morse in 1899, then the series of the Farfadet in 1901. The reachable distance was recorded at 100 miles.