New submarine for the French Navy

One year after leaving the Naval Group shipyards in Cherbourg, the nuclear attack submarine Duguay-Trouin (S636) is commissioned into active service.

In May 2023, it had headed to the Atlantic Ocean, with the aim of validating operational tests, which notably require deeper waters than those of the English Channel.

These Verification of Military Characteristics (VCM) phases allowed the crews to test the vessel’s performance, endurance, and equipment compliance with the specified requirements.

During its trials, the Duguay-Trouin sailed in both cold and warm waters, with a stopover in Fort-de-France in March 2024; a first for a Suffren-class SNA. It will now be deployed in operations.

J’ai prononcé aujourd’hui l’admission au service actif du Duguay-Trouin, deuxième sous-marin de la classe Suffren. Plus rapide, plus endurant, plus polyvalent, plus discret. Dans les mains de nos équipages, il deviendra un chasseur hors-pair pour les opérations à venir. pic.twitter.com/MzCIvoZHp3

— Chef d'état-major de la Marine (@CEMM_FR) April 4, 2024

Although childbirth was sometimes difficult and delayed, the nuclear attack submarines of the Barracuda program now enjoy unanimous support.

A few weeks after the Chief of the Defense Staff, Thierry Burkhard, praised them before the Senate Defense Committee in November 2023, the Chief of the Naval Staff also had high praise for the SNAs built by the Cherbourg shipyard of Naval Group. A successful milestone for the nuclear submarine Suffren, built in Cherbourg “These are excellent vessels. I often say that these Suffren-class nuclear attack submarines are war beasts,” he explained. Facing the senators, Admiral Vaujour detailed the high level of performance of these “sea hunters.”

The SNA Duguay-Trouin, like the lead ship Suffren, will perform the same missions as the Rubis-class SNAs, but with superior capabilities. It notably has a land strike capability with the Naval Cruise Missile (MdCN) and a capability for special forces deployment through a swimmer lock and pontoon hangar.

The Suffren-class SSNs (nuclear-powered attack submarines) displace over 4,600 tonnes on the surface and 5,300 tonnes when submerged; their propulsion system consists of a K15 pressurized water reactor with 150 MW, two 10 MW turbo-alternators each, two emergency MAN electric motors, and a pump jet system.

Suffren-class submarines have a length of 99.5 meters, a diameter of 8.8 meters, and a draft of 7.3 meters. Their maximum speed exceeds 20 knots submerged and is 14 knots on the surface.

They can dive to depths exceeding 350 meters, and the crew consists of 60 men, with the potential addition of ten Special Forces operators.

Armament includes four torpedo tubes for 20 heavyweight F1 torpedoes, which can be combined with SM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles, MdCN cruise missiles, and mines.

The French Navy will receive a total of six Barracuda-class submarines by 2030.