SNA Barracuda
Nuclear-powered attack submarine
The Barracuda program is scheduled to replace the Rubis-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SNA) with six new-generation submarines, providing the French navy with a powerful asset for the control of maritime areas and the projection of naval power.
Boasting both unrivalled acoustic discretion and a listening capacity at high speed, Barracuda will have the acoustic advantage over all types of adversary.
Equipped with an extensive panoply of information-gathering equipment, and capable of operating both alone and within an integrated naval force thanks to its discreet communications systems, this submarine is an ideal tool for crisis management.
Its extensive weapons payload, including cruise missiles, makes it a tool of considerable strategic importance for the French navy.
The first Barracuda-class submarine will be delivered in 2017, and the subsequent vessels will be delivered at the rate of one every two years.
The six new submarines will be christened Suffren, Duguay-Trouin, Dupetit-Thouars, Duquesne, Tourville and De Grasse.
