March 5 and 6, 2011. Île Longue, Brest.
Ballistic nuclear missile-carrying submarine (SSBN) Le Terrible.
The submarine departs on its first mission of deterrence.
One of six tugs supports the delicate maneuver of launching the 14,000 tons of submarine.
In the background : Île Longue, the sanctuary of nuclear submarines that launch nuclear missiles (SSBNs), the island also contains a very large warehouse stocked with nuclear bombs. The island is one of the most heavily protected sites in France.
The blue structures are the entrances of two dry docks for submarines returning from missions.