France Unveils New Nuclear Submarine With 270-Day Autonomy

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 28/05/2025 at 10:41

Updated on 28/05/2025 at 10:43

Foto: Reprodução

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Submarine De Grasse Is The Fourth Of The Barracuda Class And Signals A New Phase In French Naval Modernization

On May 27, 2025, the French Navy took a new step in its modernization program with the launch of the De Grasse, a nuclear-powered attack submarine.

The model is the fourth in the Barracuda series, also known as the Suffren class, and is notable for its ability to operate for up to 270 days without returning to base.

Landmark In Construction

The De Grasse was transferred from the construction shed to the DME floating platform at the Naval Group shipyard in Cherbourg.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Nuclear Capacity And French Technology

The Naval Group is responsible for the entire construction and also partners with TechnicAtome for the nuclear steam supply system. This system, known as NSSS, is essential for propulsion.

The CEO of the Naval Group, Pierre Éric Pommellet, stated that the launch of the De Grasse represents a fundamental advancement. “This success reflects the excellence of the French shipbuilding industry and its contribution to national sovereignty,” he declared.

In total, around 2,500 people are involved in the program, including employees and subcontractors, highlighting the significant national investment in submarine warfare technology.

Technical Data And Armaments

The Barracuda class represents a technological advancement over the previous generation. The submarines displace 4,700 tons on the surface and 5,200 tons when submerged. With a length of 99 meters and a width of 8.8 meters, the design combines stealth, resilience, and flexibility.

The pressurized water reactor, similar to that used in the strategic submarines of the Triomphant class and on the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, ensures long patrols. The autonomy can reach 270 days a year.

The submarine is equipped with precision-guided armaments. It has naval cruise missiles (MdCN), with a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers, SM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles, and heavy torpedoes F21.

Special Operations And Next Steps

The De Grasse is also prepared to support special operations. It features a lockout chamber for divers and can accommodate a dry deck shelter. These capabilities enable the use of Special Forces and underwater autonomous systems.

The launch of the De Grasse follows the commissioning of the Suffren (2020), Duguay-Trouin (2023), and the recent launch of Tourville. Sea trials are scheduled for 2026, following land and harbor system tests.

France remains one of the few countries capable of designing and building nuclear submarines. The Barracuda program, in development for over two decades, reinforces this position.

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France Unveils New Nuclear Submarine With 270-Day Autonomy

Submarine De Grasse Is The Fourth Of The Barracuda Class And Signals A New Phase In French Naval Modernization

Landmark In Construction

Nuclear Capacity And French Technology

Technical Data And Armaments

Special Operations And Next Steps

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France Unveils New Nuclear Submarine With 270-Day Autonomy

Submarine De Grasse Is The Fourth Of The Barracuda Class And Signals A New Phase In French Naval Modernization

Landmark In Construction

Nuclear Capacity And French Technology

Technical Data And Armaments

Special Operations And Next Steps

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Desert sand, previously discarded for being too smooth for concrete, becomes an ecological brick in the United Arab Emirates, dispensing with Portland cement, curing at room temperature, and attempting to transform dunes useless for construction into raw material for a new arid engineering.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

Toyota launches “family hybrid van” with 7 or 8 seats, 1.8 hybrid engine, fuel consumption of up to 23.8 km/l, and a price equivalent to about R$ 104,000 without taxes, below the Tiggo 8 Pro Plug-in Hybrid sold in Brazil: meet the Noah Hybrid 2026 in Japan.

Chinese woman planted trees for decades while sand buried part of her house, received $5,000 from an American in 1999, and helped transform the desert into a forest of 8 million trees in China.

Almost 6,000 residents live concentrated along a single street nearly 9 km long in the interior of Poland. Houses form a continuous row, and behind them, narrow agricultural strips emerge, creating one of the most unusual rural patterns in Europe.

Described by astronauts as one of the most unlikely natural phenomena on Earth, the Okavango Delta spreads over up to 15,000 square kilometers in the middle of the desert and transforms Botswana into a living labyrinth of channels, islands, and flooded areas.

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