While operating in the eastern-central Atlantic, on December 23, 2004, an Attland's SSN was pinged by an active sonar from the French S605 Amethyste, the leader of the name class, and found herself being pursued while receiving signals of an aggressive postur and rigging on the French submarine.
SSN's captain terminated avoidance maneuvers, commenced counter-maneuvers, and, after exchanging active pings with the Amethyste, launched his weapon. The French sub became damaged, and, unable to surface despite frantic and well-heard damage control operations, slowly sank during agonizing 6 to 10 hours. SSN specialists have heard the French sub shutting down her nuclear reactor. Nuclear chemistry tests run by SSN determined that there was no release of radioactive material from the sub.
After 5 hours from being damaged, the French sub has launched her emergency buoy which prompted a rescue mission to arrive in the general area of the sinking, unable to located the sunken sub until January 2-nd of 2005. The government of France has ascertained that its sub was sunk by a another country's naval craft, and has demanded Attland to confirm her responsibility, which Attland did, drawing ire and condemnation of the international community for idly standing and failing to call for any rescue operation where time was of essence.
The sinking has earned the captain, the SSN and her crew the Meritorious Battle Award.
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