Charcarodon-class submarine
 Charcarodon-class profile
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Charcaradon class |
| Builders: | NEXLORA, (TBD) |
| Operators: |
 Pelaxia  Faneria |
| Preceded by: | Gallant/Tiago |
| Cost: | TBD |
| Built: | Since 2024 |
| In commission: | From 2035 |
| Planned: | 13 |
| Building: | 4 |
| Completed: | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine |
| Displacement: | 14,000 t surfaced, 17,000 t submerged |
| Length: | 342 ft (104 m) |
| Beam: | 56 ft (17 m) |
| Draught: | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Propulsion: | Single Model 2004-3S Variant pressurized-water nuclear reactor system, (190 mw, HEU 38% ideal), 2x Model 2012-1SH steam turbines(?), 1x pump jet propeller |
| Speed: | 21 knots surfaced, 28 knots submerged |
| Range: | Unlimited range, 10 years (nuclear fuel) |
| Endurance: | 82+ days submerged |
| Test depth: | >350 m (1,150 ft) |
| Complement: | 12 officers. 48 petty officers |
| Sensors and processing systems: | TBD |
| Armament: | TBD |
The Charcaradon class (or Suffren class) is a nuclear ballistic missile submarine designed by the Pelaxian shipbuilder NEXLORA in cooperation with Sethsport Naval Design for the Armada of Pelaxia and the Fhainnin Office of the National Army. It is intended to replace the Tiago-class submarines. Construction began in 2024 and the first batch will be commissioned on November 2035. Full operational capability is not anticipated until 2036.
Design
The Charcaradon was the brainchild of Andrew Maraigh, working for Sethsport Shipyards' Naval Design branch. Maraigh successfully lobbied for the production of a new heavy long-range nuclear-powered submarine, as Faneria's last class of a similar type, the Gaisgeil ('Gallant') was designed in 1978 and showing its age after a history of design issues, as well as being unable to carry many modern payloads. Faneria has experience designing attack submarines and smaller missile submarines, but does not currently possess adequate facilities to design, build, and maintain long-range superheavy submarines. Unable to make a design on its own, the Office of the National Army approached the government of Pelaxia with an offer to cooperate on a new class of submarine to replace the latter nation's own Tiago-class.
Manufacturing
The Carcharodon was first laid down in Villa Delfia, Pelaxia, on April 2, 2024. A total of seven hulls will be constructed for the Armada of Pelaxia and six for the Fhainnin government. Faneria provided several teams of laborers to assist with the reactor, electronics, propulsion, and weapons systems, while the hull construction teams and raw materials are being provided solely by the Pelaxian government. Faneria bankrolled the construction of nine of the thirteen planned vessels in exchange for using the better-developed Pelaxian submarine facilities and working with its more seasoned designers, allowing its engineers to gain experience that will be valuable in constructing a specialist drydock in Sethsport and in further development of Faneria’s submarine-related industrial processes.
Manufacturing techniques for the class are classified, but promotional materials for the shipyard displayed the use of automated systems to assist in attaching hull plating. In January 2025, the Pelaxian government listed the class as being capable of "more than eighty days" submersion, as well as confirming the model of nuclear reactor to be used to assuage concerns about issues that could stem from a joint manufacturing project. Other listed statistics are estimates from the International Arms Index Institute.
Reactor System
Computer Systems and Localization
Due to a desire to prevent national security breaches, both nations involved in the designing of the Carcharodon Class used their own components in the computer systems of their respective vessels, with a team of Fhainnin professionals flying in for the hull and interior markings on the northbound hulls. This caused some confusion as one hull (hull seven) was accidentally marked by both nations, with the Fhainnin government paying for the man-hours to remove their markings.