Aigrette was the lead boat of the Aigrette-class submarines built for the French Navy between 1902 and 1905. Laid down in May 1902, she was launched in February 1904 and commissioned in 1908. She was essentially an experimental submarine, and although in service during World War I, saw no action. The class was designed by Maxime Laubeuf and used Drzewiecki drop collar launchers and external cradles to launch torpedoes.