Barracuda-class submarine (France)

Suffren class

Suffren-class profile
Class overview
Name	Barracuda class
Builders	Naval Group (formerly known as DCNS and DCN)
Operators	French Navy
Preceded by	Rubis class
Cost	€10.42 billion (2014)[1] for 6 units €1.32 billion (2014)[1] per unit (sailaway cost)
Built	Since 2007
In commission	From 2020[2] (originally planned for 2017)
Planned	6
Building	5
Completed	1
General characteristics
Type	Nuclear attack submarine
Displacement	4,765 t surfaced 5,300 t submerged
Length	99.5 m (326 ft)
Beam	8.8 m (29 ft)
Draught	7.3 m (24 ft)
Propulsion	2 x Turbo-generator groups: 10 MW (13,000 hp) each Nuclear reactor K15, 150 MW (200,000 hp) 2 x emergency diesel generators 480 kW (640 hp) each 1 x pump-jet electrically driven
Speed	Over 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph), surfaced
Range	Unlimited range, 10 years (nuclear fuel)
Endurance	70 days of food [3]
Test depth	>350 m (1,150 ft)[4]
Complement	12 officers 48 petty officers
Sensors and processing systems	Hull and flank sonar Thales UMS-3000 SYCOBS SEACLEAR Velox-M8
Armament	4 × 533 mm (21.0 in) tubes 20 storage racks, including MdCN SCALP Naval missiles Exocet SM39 Mod2 missiles A3SM (MICA) missiles F21 Artemis heavy torpedoes FG29 mines[5][6]

The Barracuda class (or Suffren class) is a nuclear attack submarine, designed by the French shipbuilder Naval Group (formerly known as DCNS and DCN) for the French Navy. It is intended to replace the Rubis-class submarines. Construction began in 2007 and the first unit was commissioned on 6 November 2020.^[2] Full operational capability is not anticipated until 2021.^[7]

History[]

Development[]

In October 1998, the Delegation Générale pour l'Armement, the French government's defense procurement agency, established an integrated project team consisting of the Naval Staff, DCN (now known as Naval Group), Technicatome and the Commissariat a l'Énergie Atomique, a regulatory body that oversees nuclear power plants, to oversee the design of a new attack submarine class.^[8] DCN was to be the boat's designer and builder while Technicatome (since acquired by Areva) was to be responsible for the nuclear power plant. The two companies were to act jointly as a single prime contractor to share the industrial risks, manage the schedules, and be responsible for the design's performance and costs, which at the time was estimated to be US$4.9 billion.^[8]

On 22 December 2006, the French government placed a €7.9 billion order for six Barracuda submarines with Naval Group and their nuclear power plants with Areva-Technicatome.^[9] According to the DGA “Competition at the subcontractor level will be open to foreign companies for the first time.”^[10] According to the contract, the first boat was to commence sea trials in early 2016, with delivery occurring in late 2016/early 2017. This was to be followed by entry into service in late 2017.^[11]

Conventionally-powered variants[]

DCNS/Naval Group has also put forward diesel-electric variants of the Barracuda, for several other navies.

One conventionally-powered concept, dubbed the SMX-Ocean, features fuel cells and vertical launchers.^[12] This variant has been offered to the Indian Navy.

In 2016, another variant, known within Naval Group as the Shortfin Barracuda – with a diesel-electric powerplant and scaled-down missile capabilities – was offered to both the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). That same year, the Shortfin Barracuda was selected by the Australian government, for a major expansion of the RAN submarine fleet during the 2030s. A total of 12 vessels were to enter service with the RAN from 2032, augmenting and replacing six Collins-class vessels, but the project will not enter the next phase.^[13][14] Instead, the RAN will acquire a nuclear-powered submarine design of British and American lineage.^[15] The "Future Canadian Submarines" project aims to replace the RCN's Victoria-class submarines by 2030.^[16] However, the Shortfin Barracuda was unsuccessful in gaining selection for the RCN and no order was placed by the Canadian government.

Naval Group is also offering a subvariant of the Shortfin diesel-electric design, as a replacement for the current Walrus-class submarines of the Royal Netherlands Navy, competing against the A26 design put forward by Saab and Damen.

Description[]

Barracudas will use technology from the Triomphant class, including pump-jet propulsion. This class reportedly produces approximately 1/1000 of the detectable noise of the Redoutable-class boats (submarines), and they are ten times more sensitive in detecting other submarines.^[17] They will be fitted with torpedo-tube-launched cruise missiles MDCN SCALP Naval for long-range (well above 1,000 km, 620 mi) strikes against strategic land targets. Their missions will include anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, land attack, intelligence gathering, crisis management and special operations.

The Barracuda class nuclear reactor incorporates several improvements over that of the preceding Rubis. Notably, it extends the time between refueling and complex overhauls (RCOHs) from 7 to 10 years, enabling higher at-sea availability.

In support of special operations missions, Barracudas may also accommodate up to 15 commandos, while carrying their equipment in a mobile pod attached aft of the sail.^[3]

Specifications[]

Designed by Naval Group and TechnicAtome, this class has the following capabilities:

• SYCOBS combat system with :

• Thales PARTNER communication system with :
  • Thales DIVESAT communications mast with SYRACUSE satellite link.
  • L11, L22 and L16 data-links
  • Thales TUUM-5 Mk2 underwater telephone and emergency beacon
• NEMESIS countermeasure system (based on CONTRALTO) from Naval Group which applies a "confusion / dilution" principle and combines evasive maneuvers with the deployment of Canto-S decoys.
• Nuclear-electric propulsion (NEP) where the screw is turned by an electric motor and not a steam turbine with reduction gearing like most other submarines. This is quieter and allows integration of batteries to further quieting.
  • TechnicAtome K15 150 MW reactor.
  • 2x 10MW turbo-generator groups.
  • Large batteries that allow the submarine to run at minimum reactor power for several days in near perfect quiet.
  • 2x SEMPT Pielstick 480 kW each emergency diesel generators.
• Large endurance :
  • Ten years of nuclear fuel.
  • 70 days of food.
• Removable dry dock for PSM3G six-seat special-forces submarine and room.

Boats[]

Italics indicate projected dates

Shortfin Barracuda conventional variant[]

Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A (Attack-class submarine)

Profile of the Shortfin Barracuda conventional variant.
Class overview
Name	Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A
Builders	Naval Group (formerly known as DCNS and DCN)
Operators	Royal Australian Navy
Preceded by	Collins class
Cost	A$89.7 billion (2020)[25][26] for 12 units + ToT (est.) (€54.2 billion)
In commission	Approx. 2030–2070 (planned)
Planned	12
Building	0
Completed	0
Cancelled	12
General characteristics
Type	Diesel-electric attack submarine
Displacement	over 4,000 t submerged
Length	97 m (318 ft 3 in)
Propulsion	1 x 7 MW (9,400 hp) permanent magnet motor 4 x diesel alternators
Range	18,000 nmi (33,000 km; 21,000 mi)
Endurance	90 days submerged
Complement	60 crew 12 clearance divers
Armament	8 x 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes Payload: 28 torpedoes mix of: Mk 48 torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, A3SM (MICA) anti-air missiles or Mk III Stonefish mines

Naval Group submitted a conventionally powered diesel-electric variation to the design – named the Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A, a derivative of the SMX Ocean concept – to the competitive evaluation process (CEP) phase of Australia's Collins-class submarine replacement. "While exact details remain confidential, DCNS can confirm the Shortfin Barracuda is over 90 metres (300 ft) in length and displaces more than 4,000 tons when dived," said Sean Costello, CEO of Naval Group Australia.^[27] Naval Group was chosen by the Australian Government on 26 April 2016 to build twelve of the Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A variant at a projected AU$50 billion (US$35.8 billion). Much of the works were to be undertaken at ASC Pty Ltd in Adelaide, South Australia.^[28][29] Construction was expected to begin in 2023.^[30] The class would have been known as the Attack-class submarine with the first vessel named HMAS Attack.

On 16 September 2021, Australia cancelled the Attack-class project and entered into a partnership with the United States and United Kingdom to obtain nuclear submarine technology.^[31] The reactors are sealed and last for the lifetime of the submarine because they run on weapons-grade uranium, unlike the ones France uses which have to be serviced every ten years.^[32]

See also[]

• List of submarines of France
• Submarine forces (France)
• Future of the French Navy
• Cruise missile submarine

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Suffren class submarines.

• DCN official site at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 February 2008)
• France unveils plans for new Barracuda SSNs at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 30 March 2006)
• France’s Future SSNs: The Barracuda Class at Defense Industry Daily.