DÉFENSE ZONE
Naval Group has reached a major milestone with the launch of Tourville, the third Suffren-class nuclear attack submarine (SNA), on 20 July 2023. This milestone is part of the Barracuda programme, which aims to renew the French Navy’s submarine fleet.
Naval Group, under the direction of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), is in charge of building the series of six submarines of the Barracuda programme. Pierre Éric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group, praised the commitment of all the teams involved in this large-scale project.
Tourville, the third submarine of the Barracuda programme, has been transferred to the DGA’s launching facility. This key step precedes the submarine’s floating out, scheduled for 2024. Before that, completion work and initial trials will be carried out alongside the quay, followed by sea trials.
Naval Group, present on five continents with revenue of €4.3 billion, built the submarine. The group is a major player in naval defence internationally.
The aim of the Barracuda programme is to gradually replace the Rubis-class SNA currently in service with the French Navy. The Barracuda programme submarines give the French Navy notable combat superiority, in particular through carrying the naval cruise missiles (MdCN) produced by MBDA. These submarines can also deploy the F21 heavyweight torpedo produced by Naval Group and MBDA’s SM39 anti-ship missile, while offering increased capabilities for the covert deployment of special forces.
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