Argonaute Submarine - Sous-marin

The Argonaute submarine is a retired French hunter-killer vessel that now rests permanently on dry land at the Parc de la Villette. Launched in 1957, this steel-hulled craft spent over two decades patrolling the Mediterranean, logging thousands of hours underwater to monitor and secure shipping routes. Its career came to an official end in 1982, but rather than being dismantled for scrap, it was preserved as a testament to mid-century naval engineering. In 1989, the vessel undertook its most unusual journey when it was transported by barge from the coast to Paris, navigating through river locks and finally being lifted by cranes to its current resting place beside the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie.