Scare? In what way? As a retired submariner, I have a unique experience with what defines "scary" aboard submarines. For example, there is little more scary than being aboard a submarine operating at test depth when an explosion occurs and someone screams "FLOODING!". And no, this wasn't a drill for training either. From a submariners perspective, there are few casualties which carry the potential for catastrophic consequences like a collision at sea. Surface ships have the option of abandoning their ships, however sudden this may occur. Submarines, however, rarely have that option. Ask the crew of the USS San Francisco (SSN-711) who were aboard on January 9, 2005. They slammed into an underwater mountain head on while doing a flank bell at 500 feet. The ship survived, and returned to home port under her own power, though they lost one crewman. Am I scared because this accident involved nuclear powered submarines? Nope. Not at all. I was a Reactor Operator during my time in service, and I'm intimately familiar with how well designed and rugged these plants are, not to mention how they operate. How well designed are they? Well, the San Frnacisco slammed head on into a mountain at a flank bell (as fast as she could go) and the reactor suffered ZERO damage. The main engine throttles tripped, but that was due to momentum causing the trip lever to swing forward as if pulled. The mains were reset immediately and propulsion restored. Am I afraid because they carried nuclear missiles? Again, no. This is because I understand some of how these work. Even without their safety systems, the physics behind how these warheads work means that they MUST be detonated precisely as designed...or there will be NO nuclear yield. A damaged missile becomes useless, though there is the possibility of contamination from the spread of radioactive material depending on the nature of the damage. ALL servicemen in the various branches of the militaries across the world form a kind of brotherhood. This is because they have something in common: they are highly trained people who are willing to fight for their nations, and give up their lives doing so in the process if necessary. So there is a great deal of respect and camaraderie among the servicemembers of any nation, regardless of national origin. But perhaps no greater camaraderie exists than that between the submariners of any nation. No submarine accident and no submarine loss can fail to elicit a heartfelt emotional response as a result of this brotherhood. When the Kursk went down in 2000, submariners around the world were on edge for their brothers lost and trapped on that ship. I know I, and my shipmates, were. There is a special place in the hearts of all submariners for any submariner lost at sea when his ship went down. Here is a link with information on the USS San Francisco's collision: http://www.ssbn611.org/uss_san_francisco.htm Here are a few pictures of the San Francisco to show you just how tough these ships can be...take note of the warped hull aft of the destroyed bow as well: . .

What do you mean "reacted" - you mean some kind of nuclear accident? A nuclear powerplant can not (meaning, can not) detonate. Even if they were nuclear-powered subs, that doesn't mean that they were carrying nuclear weapons (I don't even know if the French Navy has any SSBN's), but even if they were, it's not like the weapons are sitting there without a dozen safety devices and ready to be detonated by a hard knock.