Suffren-class
Summary
| Origin country | 🇫🇷 France |
| Category | Frigate |
| Subtype | Nuclear attack submarine |
| Manufacturer | Naval Group |
| Year commissioned | 2020 |
| Approx. unit cost | $1833 million |
| Units | Suffren, Duguay-Trouin, Tourville, De Grasse, Rubis, Casabianca |
Operators
Technical specifications
| Displacement | 4765 tons |
| Displacement submerged | 5300 tons |
| Range | 9000 km at 18 knots |
| Endurance | 70 |
| Crew | 60 members |
| Width | 8.8 m (28.9 ft) |
| Length | 99.5 m (326.4 ft) |
| Max. depth | 350 m (1148.3 ft) |
| Propulsion | 1 TechnicAtome K15 nuclear reactor (150 MW), 2 turbo-generators (10 MW each), 2 SEMT Pielstick emergency diesel generators (480 kW each), 1 propeller pump (hydrojet) |
| Thrust | 3440 hp |
| Armament |
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| Maximum speed | 14 knots |
| Max. speed submerged | 25 knots |
Description
The Barracuda program began in October 1998 under the direction of the Delegation Générale pour l'Armement, the French defense procurement agency. An integrated project team consisting of the Naval Staff, DCN, TechnicAtome, and the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique managed the design phase. In December 2006, the French government ordered six submarines from Naval Group and TechnicAtome to replace the Rubis class. Construction of the lead vessel, Suffren, commenced in 2007.
The Suffren class incorporates technology from Triomphant-class ballistic missile submarines, including pump-jet propulsion. The design focuses on noise reduction and increased sensor sensitivity for detection compared to previous French submarine classes. The vessels utilize the K15 nuclear reactor, which allows for a 10-year interval between refueling and complex overhauls, an increase from the seven-year cycle of the preceding class. Mission profiles include anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, land attack, intelligence gathering, and crisis management. For special operations, the design accommodates 15 commandos and features a removable dry deck shelter aft of the sail to house a swimmer delivery vehicle. The onboard combat management system is the SYCOBS, which integrates a suite of Thales sonar systems, including hull, flank, and towed arrays, alongside Safran navigation sensors and electronic countermeasures.
The lead vessel, Suffren, was commissioned on 6 November 2020 and entered active service on 3 June 2022. The second boat, Duguay-Trouin, was delivered to the French Navy in August 2023 and reached full operational capability in April 2024 following deployment trials in the Caribbean. The third unit, Tourville, was delivered in November 2024. Three additional vessels—De Grasse, Rubis, and Casabianca—are in various stages of construction. The French Navy expects all six units to be in commission by 2029.
Naval Group developed a conventionally powered variant of the design, the Shortfin Barracuda, for the export market. Australia initially selected this variant for its Attack-class program in 2016, but the project was canceled in 2021. In March 2024, the Netherlands selected a variant of the design, designated the Orka class, to replace its Walrus-class submarines. Greece has also considered the conventional Barracuda design as part of its naval modernization plans.