French Navy accepts delivery of fourth Barracuda-class submarine

June 29, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

On June 24, 2026, Naval Group delivered the De Grasse, fourth in a series of six nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) built for the French Navy under the Barracuda program managed by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA).

This delivery marks an important milestone in the Barracuda program, for which the first three SSNs have already entered active service (Suffren in June 2022, Duguay-Trouin in April 2024, and Tourville in July 2025). The final two submarines of the program (Rubis and Casabianca) are currently under construction at various stages of completion, with deliveries scheduled through the end of the decade.

This series of six SSNs is part of the Barracuda program, led by the DGA in partnership with the Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA), for nuclear boilers, which aims to replace the Rubis-class SSNs in service with the French Navy.

Since being rolled out of its construction hall in May 2025, the SSN De Grasse has completed its dockside trials, the commissioning of its nuclear boiler room in December 2025, and a four-month sea trials campaign that began on February 24, 2026.

France’s fourth Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarine kicks off sea trials

Vessels

The Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarines measure 99 meters in length with a hull diameter of 8.8 meters. They have a surface displacement of 4,700 tons and a submerged displacement of 5,200 tons, reflecting a design optimized for both endurance and maneuverability in deep-sea operations.

Naval Group, in cooperation with its partners, is responsible for the production of this series of submarines, from design to shipbuilding, for manufacturing the main components of the nuclear boilers which are developed and produced with TechnicAtome.

The company is also in charge of providing logistical support and maintaining the submarines in Toulon.