First French Barracuda SSN commences sea trials

The French Navy’s first Suffren-class (Barracuda) nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN), Suffren , has performed its first static dive test, marking the beginning of the boat’s at-sea trials, Minister for the Armed Forces Florence Parly announced on 28 April.

Suffren , the first of six Barracuda SSNs for the French Navy, marked the beginning of sea trials with its first dive at sea. (French MoD)

The first dive took place off the coast of Cherbourg, in northwestern France, and follows the successful completion of harbour trials. Designed and built by the Naval Group under the Barracuda programme, Suffren was officially launched on 12 July 2019 and its nuclear reactor was ignited for the first time in December 2019.

At-sea trials will be conducted by the Direction générale de l’armement (DGA), France’s defence procurement agency. Initial sea trials will take place in the English Channel before moving to the Atlantic and finally the Mediterranean. Under current scheduling, Suffren will be delivered to the French Navy by the end of this year.

Suffren is the first of six new-generation SSNs being built by the Naval Group for the French Navy under the Barracuda programme. According to the 2019–25 military programming law, the first four Barracudas will be commissioned by 2025 and the final two by 2030. The Barracuda SSNs are expected to remain in service until the 2060s. The Suffren class will progressively replace the French Navy’s ageing fleet of six Rubis Amethyste-class SSNs.