French Suffren-class SSN deploys Razorback UUV for first time

A US Navy Razorback UUV being deployed from the dry deck shelter of a French Suffren-class nuclear attack submarine in March 2026. (US Navy/ Loren Nichols)

A French Suffren-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) has deployed a Razorback unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) for the first time, the French Navy (Marine Nationale) announced in April 2026.

Between 16 and 20 March, the unnamed Suffren-class boat deployed a US Navy (USN) Razorback UUV in a test off the coast of Toulon. The UUV was surfaced and recovered while the submarine remained submerged.

The dry deck shelter, a removable deck hangar that can be fixed onto the submarine's hull, allows for the launch and recovery of UUVs, swimmer delivery vehicles, and special operations forces without submarines having to surface.

USN submarine forces shared specifications and recovery procedures for the Razorback. French submarine forces then developed the test, backed by technical expertise from the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA).

The US Navy's Commander, Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Group One (COMUUVGRU ONE), said in a release on 2 April that the medium-class Razorback UUV is designed for missions such as battlespace awareness and intelligence preparation of the operational environment. By integrating these technologies, COMUUVGRU ONE said, “the partner navies are developing new tactics and procedures for undersea operations... focused on leveraging unmanned systems to create a more effective and distributed naval force.”

The Razorback is a specialized military variant of the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) REMUS 600 UUV, engineered primarily for hydrographic missions and undersea battlespace sensing.

For more, please see: DSEI 2025: SAMDIS 600 synthetic aperture sonar completes integration with REMUS 620 UUV

Feature: New missions drive growth in medium-class UUV market