The sea trials of the Suffren, the first Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarine, have just begun. They will enable the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) and the French Navy to test the performances of the submarine at sea before her delivery later this year. A total of six Barracuda-class vessels will be added to the French Navy’s fleet by 2030.
The first sea trial of the Suffren is a source of great pride for Naval Group employees and their partners. I am extremely grateful for the efforts of our teams. They made it possible to start these trials while respecting strict compliance with the health and safety measures to protect the crew which is partly constituted of Naval Group members.
These trials are additional proof of Naval Group’s total commitment to the French Navy, the French defence procurement agency (DGA) as well as to the French Atomic and Alternative Energy Commission (CEA), TechnicAtome and the other industrial actors of the defence sector.
Together, we are conducting the sea trials that will lead to the delivery of the Suffren and committed to the production of the other five submarines of the series, which is a major priority for the company”, declared Pierre Eric Pommellet, Naval Group’s Chairman and CEO.
This series of sea trials follows the divergence of the nuclear reactor which took place in December 2019 and the dock tests carried out since the launch of the submarine on July 12, 2019. The operations successively took place in the assembly hall as well as in the dry and water-filled docks to test equipment and systems, such as the combat system. Trials are conducted by joint teams from Naval Group, TechnicAtome and French authorities.
The Suffren is the first of class, intended to replace the generation of Ruby-type SSNs. Naval Group is in charge of the production of this series of submarine – from the design to the construction of the ship – and of the information systems, the manufacturing of the main components of the nuclear reactors as well as the maintenance of the ships in Toulon.
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