On 20 July 2023, the third submarine of the Barracuda class has left its construction hall in order to be transferred to the DME floating platform-type shiplift. It is part of a series of six SSNs that will gradually replace the submarines of the Rubis-class currently in service within the French Navy.
This submarine is the third in the Barracuda class. Its rollout is a key step in the program’s progress which will lead to the beginning for its sea trials in 2024. Prior to this, completion work and initial tests will be carried out at quayside.
“A real series dynamic has been created” said Pierre Eric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group: “The rollout of the third Barracuda submarine is a major milestone for Naval Group and all its partners, in particular TechnicAtome and the CEA (French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energy Commission).”
“We are fully committed to this major program, which we are proud to lead on behalf of the DGA and the French Navy, and which will provide France with an unrivalled defense tool. This event is a reminder that French industry is proudly at the service of our armed forces. I salute the commitment of all the men and women involved in making this program a success,” Peommellet added.
Naval Group is in charge of the production of these submarines, from their design to their construction, as well as the manufacture of the main components of the nuclear boilers which are developed and produced with TechnicAtome. Naval Group is also in charge of providing logistical support and maintaining the submarines in Toulon (France).
The Barracuda program calls on the skills of all Naval Group sites, as well as on the industrial sites of TechnicAtome and numerous partner companies.
The Barracuda-class submarines will provide the French Navy with a deep strike capability thanks to MBDA's naval cruise missiles (NCM). They are also equipped with the F21 heavyweight torpedo produced by Naval Group and the SM39 anti-ship missile from MBDA. These SSNs also allow the discreet deployment of Special Forces underwater, in particular thanks to its "divers hatch" and the optional carrying of a dry deck shelter allowing for the deployment of underwater vehicles.
This technological and capability leap is the result of more than twenty years of collective work between Naval Group and hundreds of partners of the defence industrial and technological base.
A total of 2,500 men and women (including around 800 from Naval Group subcontractors) are contributing to the design and production of the Barracuda submarines.
Technical characteristics of the Barracuda SSNs
- Surface displacement: 4,700 tons
- Diving displacement: 5,200 tons
- Length: 99 metres
- Diameter: 8.8 metres
- Armament: naval cruise missiles, F21 heavy-weight wire-guided torpedoes, modernised Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles
- Hybrid propulsion: pressurised water reactor derived from the reactors on board the Triomphant-type SSBN and Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier, two propulsion turbines, two turbo generators and two electric motors
- Crew: 63 crew members + commandos
- Availability: > 270 days per year.
An international player in naval defence and heir to French naval know-how, Naval Group develops innovative solutions to meet the needs of navies. Present throughout the entire life cycle of the ships, the group designs, builds, integrates and maintains submarines and surface ships, as well as their systems and equipment, through to dismantling. It also provides services for shipyards and naval bases.
A high-tech company, Naval Group builds on its exceptional expertise, its unique design and production resources and its ability to set up strategic partnerships and successful transfers of technology. Attentive to the challenges of corporate social responsibility, Naval Group is a member of the United Nations Global Compact.
With operations on five continents, the group has a turnover of 4.3 billion euros and employs 16 029 people (full-time equivalents / 2022 data).
