French Navy Nuclear Barracuda Submarines Final Boat Delivery Could Advance by One Year.

The French Navy has received confirmation that delivery of its Barracuda-class nuclear-powered attack submarines could be accelerated, allowing the final unit to enter service in 2029. The shift reflects productivity gains at Naval Group’s Cherbourg shipyard and strengthens France’s undersea deterrence timeline.

According to information published by Actu on December 27, 2025, the French Navy has been informed that the delivery schedule for its Barracuda-class nuclear-powered attack submarines may be brought forward by a year. The adjustment, if finalized, would see the sixth and final submarine enter operational service in 2029 instead of 2030, highlighting measurable production efficiencies achieved by Naval Group at its Cherbourg facility, one of Europe’s most closely guarded naval shipyards.
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The Barracuda-class SSNs combine nuclear propulsion with advanced automation, significantly reducing crew workload while improving sustained operational tempo (Picture source: Naval Group)

The Barracuda program, also known as the Suffren class, formally entered its operational phase in November 2020 with the delivery of the lead submarine SNA Suffren. Designed to replace the aging Rubis-class SSNs that have served since the early 1980s, the program represents the most ambitious overhaul of France’s attack submarine force since the Cold War. From the outset, French naval planners emphasized the need to avoid capability gaps as older hulls reached the limits of safe operation.

Operational induction has proceeded at a steady and increasingly confident pace. Suffren was commissioned in June 2022 following an extended sea trial phase focused on validating acoustic discretion and combat system integration. It was followed by Duguay-Trouin, commissioned in April 2024, and Tourville, formally accepted into service in July 2025 during a ceremony in Toulon attended by senior political and military leadership. With three submarines now operational, the French Navy has already achieved half of its planned Barracuda fleet.

A decisive industrial milestone was reached in December 2025 with the nuclear reactor start-up, known as divergence, of the fourth submarine De Grasse (S638). Naval Group confirmed that the operation was conducted under the supervision of the French Atomic Energy Commission, with TechnicAtome providing technical authority over reactor design and performance. Divergence marks a point of no return in the construction process, as the reactor remains active throughout the submarine’s service life, and it typically signals that delivery is within reach.

Under the revised planning assumptions currently discussed within the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, De Grasse is expected to be delivered in 2026. It would be followed by Rubis around 2028 and Casabianca shortly thereafter, potentially allowing all six Suffren-class submarines to be operational before the end of the decade. French Navy officials have privately acknowledged that improved production flow at Naval Group’s Cherbourg shipyard and tighter coordination with the nuclear propulsion supply chain have been decisive factors in compressing the schedule.

The political importance of the Barracuda program was underscored in July 2025 during the commissioning of Tourville, when Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu described the submarine as a qualitative leap in French naval power. He emphasized its extended endurance, stating that the platform can deploy for roughly twice as long as the Rubis-class boats, a factor that directly enhances France’s ability to maintain a persistent presence in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indo-Pacific theaters.

The Barracuda-class SSNs combine nuclear propulsion with advanced automation, significantly reducing crew workload while improving sustained operational tempo. The submarines are equipped to conduct anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, intelligence collection, and special forces insertion. They also carry the MdCN naval cruise missile, giving France a long-range conventional strike capability from beneath the sea, a feature that places the Suffren class among the most capable non-ballistic missile submarines in service worldwide.

From a strategic perspective, the possibility of early completion strengthens France’s position as Europe’s leading undersea warfare power at a time of renewed great-power competition and intensified maritime contestation. It also provides a measure of insurance as Paris plans the gradual drawdown of the last Rubis-class boats, whose operational availability has become increasingly constrained by age.

If confirmed, the early delivery of the final Barracuda-class submarine would stand in contrast to the delays that have plagued many European naval programs in recent years. For the French Navy, it would secure continuity in one of its most sensitive and strategically decisive capabilities, while reinforcing Naval Group’s credibility as a prime contractor for complex nuclear-powered platforms.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.