For the first time in history, an allied nuclear submarine launched and recovered an American drone underwater without surfacing — and the test changes underwater warfare forever.

Written by Douglas Avila

Published on 19/04/2026 at 06:32

Updated on 19/04/2026 at 08:11

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Between March 16 and 20, 2026, a Suffren-class nuclear submarine launched and recovered the US Navy’s Razorback drone while remaining submerged off the coast of Toulon — and the result was declared a “critical milestone” in allied submarine warfare

A nuclear attack submarine of the French Navy achieved something that had never been done before.

Without surfacing, it opened its Dry Deck Shelter — a removable hangar attached to the deck — and launched an American drone into the dark waters of the Mediterranean.

The drone navigated autonomously, collected data, and returned to the submarine.

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What is the Razorback and why does it change the game

The Razorback is an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) developed by the American company HII.

It is a military variant of the civilian REMUS 620 drone.

It was designed for reconnaissance missions, oceanographic measurements, battlefield awareness, and intelligence preparation.

So far, drones like the Razorback could only be operated from surface ships or American submarines.

Therefore, the March test proved that an allied submarine can operate American assets underwater — drastically expanding operational reach.

The Dry Deck Shelter — a hangar attached to the submarine

The secret lies in the Dry Deck Shelter (DDS).

It is a removable compartment installed on the submarine’s aft deck.

Typically, the DDS is used for special forces operations — launching and recovering divers.

Now, it has transformed into a launch platform for autonomous drones.

The difference compared to the US Virginia-class submarines is that the Americans use torpedo tubes to launch similar drones.

This way, the French method offers a larger and more flexible compartment.

Naval cooperation between French and American navies — The Franco-American partnership in submarine operations with autonomous drones began with the 2021 Strategic Interoperability Framework agreement

Why this matters for submarine warfare

“The ability to deploy US assets from allied submarines expands our operational reach and enhances our collective underwater warfare capabilities,” stated the US Navy’s Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Command (COMUUVGRU-1).

Additionally, another representative stated: “This successful launch is a testament to the strong partnership between the French and US navies.”

In practice, this means NATO gains flexibility.

A French submarine in the Mediterranean can now perform reconnaissance tasks that previously required an American submarine.

From 2021 to March 2026 — the timeline of cooperation

December 2021: signing of the Strategic Interoperability Framework between the navies
March 16 to 20, 2026: first real tests of launch and recovery off the coast of Toulon
Multiple launch and recovery cycles supervised by expert divers over the 5 days

Autonomous underwater drone navigating in deep waters — UUVs can navigate autonomously in deep waters, collecting intelligence data without revealing the submarine’s position

Caveats

The tests focused on technical validation, not on real combat scenarios.

Moreover, the exact name of the involved Suffren submarine was not disclosed.

Success depends on sharing technical specifications among allies, which may be restricted in different geopolitical contexts.

Still, the fact that an American drone was successfully operated from a French submarine for the first time paves the way for a new era of distributed submarine warfare among allies.

For the first time in history, an allied nuclear submarine launched and recovered an American drone underwater without surfacing — and the test changes underwater warfare forever.

Between March 16 and 20, 2026, a Suffren-class nuclear submarine launched and recovered the US Navy’s Razorback drone while remaining submerged off the coast of Toulon — and the result was declared a “critical milestone” in allied submarine warfare

What is the Razorback and why does it change the game

The Dry Deck Shelter — a hangar attached to the submarine

Why this matters for submarine warfare

From 2021 to March 2026 — the timeline of cooperation

Caveats

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For the first time in history, an allied nuclear submarine launched and recovered an American drone underwater without surfacing — and the test changes underwater warfare forever.

Between March 16 and 20, 2026, a Suffren-class nuclear submarine launched and recovered the US Navy’s Razorback drone while remaining submerged off the coast of Toulon — and the result was declared a “critical milestone” in allied submarine warfare

What is the Razorback and why does it change the game

The Dry Deck Shelter — a hangar attached to the submarine

Why this matters for submarine warfare

From 2021 to March 2026 — the timeline of cooperation

Caveats

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Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Cristiano Ronaldo builds a billion-dollar mansion in Portugal with 54,000 square feet, a 3-acre plot facing the Atlantic, private spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and an estimated value of an impressive R$ 385 million.

Brazil erects a digital wall along 16,886 km of borders with 10 countries, using sensors, radars, military communications, and the Army’s decision-making system to protect one of the largest land stretches on the planet and showcase the technological strength of national defense.

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