French Navy takes delivery of 2nd nuclear-powered attack submarine

French Navy has taken delivery of Duguay-Trouin, the second Suffren/Barracuda-class nuclear-powered attack submarine after several months of trials.

According to the French ministry of the armed forces, the submarine, which was built by French shipbuilding company Naval Group, was delivered to the French Navy in Brest on 28 July.

The sea trials of the submarine started in March 2023 to verify the operation of various systems and equipment.

Duguay-Trouin is the second of six submarines in the Barracuda program, led by the French defense procurement agency (DGA) in partnership with the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energy Commission (CEA) for the nuclear boilers part.

This program intends to replace the Ruby-class SSNs currently in service within the French Navy.

Naval Group is in charge of the production of these submarines, from their design to their construction, as well as the manufacture of the main components of the nuclear boilers which are developed and produced with TechnicAtome.

The Barracuda series is well underway: the remaining four submarines in the program (Tourville, de Grasse, Rubis and Casabianca) are all currently under construction, at different stages of completion, and their deliveries will be staggered until 2030.

To remind, French Navy’s first Suffren-class submarine entered service in June 2022.