France Launches New Nuclear Attack Submarine: Can the Suffren Class Keep Up with Industry Standards?

The fifth Suffren class nuclear-powered attack submarines has been launched for the French Navy, marking a major milestone in a program intended to replace the country’s ageing Rubis class fleet. The submarine, named Rubis, was transferred from its construction hall to a floating shiplift platform at Naval Group’s shipyard in Cherbourg on October 16. “It is with great pride and a deep sense of responsibility that we today transferred the Rubis, the fifth Suffren class nuclear attack submarine, to its launch platform. This crucial milestone comes just 17 months after that of the nuclear attack submarine De Grasse, a symbol of our commitment to our customers,” said Pierre Eric Pommellet, chairman and chief executive of Naval Group. The Suffren class is being developed under France’s Barracuda program, with six new submarines renewing the French Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarine force with more capable and versatile vessels.

The delivery of the fifth Suffren class ship was made after the fourth ship of its class, the De Grasse, was formally accepted into service in June. The ships are optimised for special operations, and can embark up to 15 commandos and deploy them using a removable dry deck shelter and swimmer delivery vehicle, enabling covert reconnaissance, sabotage, hostage rescue, and other special missions in contested environments. The systems benefit from improved stealth, endurance, sensors, and firepower, including pump-jet propulsion, a reduced acoustic signature, a modern sonar suite, modern electronic warfare systems, and a new-generation combat management system. 

The most outstanding feature of the Barracuda class is its use of pump-jet propulsion, extensive vibration isolation, and advanced quieting technologies derived from France's Triomphant class ballistic missile submarines, which make the ships significantly quieter than their predecessors while improving underwater detection performance. Their primary armaments include F21 heavyweight torpedoes, ageing SM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles and MBDA’s Naval Cruise Missile that provide a land-attack capability. Displacing around 5,300 tons submerged, the Suffren class is considerably lighter than rival U.S., Russian and Chinese attack submarine types, with smaller and less outstanding missile armaments. French industry’s ability to keep up with advances in quieting technologies in China and the U.S. in particular has been brought to serious question.