According to the announcement by the French Navy, the force is preparing to commission one of its new nuclear-powered Barracuda-class attack submarines following its arrival at Toulon Naval Base (Port militaire de Toulon) in the Mediterranean on November 27. Among the upcoming steps leading to the commissioning of the SNA Tourville in 2025 (the third submarine of the class), is the initiation of the operational testing phase to fine-tune the unit’s navigation, sensor, and combat systems.
The arrival of the third nuclear-powered submarine, SNA Tourville, comes after its delivery by Naval Group to the French Navy in November, just one year after the Duguay-Trouin. The submarine underwent extensive sea trials over four months to verify the performance of its equipment and systems. Specifically, by the end of April, the SNA Tourville completed its nuclear reactor evaluations, followed by navigation trials starting in July.
As part of the Barracuda Program, this project aims to renew the French Navy’s fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines, which currently consists of the Rubis-class submarines. These have been in service since the early 1980s and, despite undergoing modernization efforts, are nearing the end of their operational lifespan.
With the induction of the SNA Tourville, the renewal of the French submarine fleet is now halfway complete, with the remaining units expected to be delivered in phases until 2030. The first two Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarines, Suffren and Duguay-Trouin, entered active service in June 2022 and April 2024, respectively. The remaining three submarines in the Barracuda program (De Grasse, Rubis, and Casabianca) are currently at various stages of construction and outfitting, with deliveries planned up to 2030, as outlined in the 2024–2030 Military Programming Law.
From a technical standpoint, each Barracuda-class submarine can dive to depths of up to 350 meters, with an operational endurance of up to 70 days, according to the manufacturer, Naval Group. These new vessels also feature significant improvements in sonar signature, speed (up to 25 knots while submerged), and range, and integrate special operations deployment capabilities absent in their predecessors. Their armament includes F21 heavyweight torpedoes, SM-39 Exocet submarine-launched missiles, FG-29 mines, and cruise missiles launched via the MDCN SCALP Naval torpedo tube.
You may also like: The French Navy’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will be deployed toward the Indo-Pacific by the end of the year
