The Rubis (S 601 ; ex Provence) is a first-generation nuclear attack submarine of the French Navy, named after the French submarine Rubis which distinguished herself during the Second World War. Originally named Provence, she was renamed to Rubis on 18 December 1980. Being the lead ship of the Rubis class, her fine-tuning was long, notably needing over 1000 hours of underwater testing before commissioning. In 2002, the Rubis protected Task Force 473 in the Indian Ocean, during operation Hercules, the naval part of the invasion of Afghanistan.