French Barracuda class submarine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Barracuda class nuclear attack submarine | |
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| Class Overview | |
| Type: | nuclear attack submarine |
| Name: | Barracuda |
| Number of ships: | 0 (6 planned) |
| Preceded by: | Rubis |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 3500 t surfaced 4600 t submerged |
| Length: | 97 m (318 ft) |
| Beam: | 8,8 m (28.9 ft) |
| Draught: | 7,3 m (24.0 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 2 turboreductors groups (10 MW propulsion alternator feeding electric engines) Nuclear reactor K15, 150 MW |
| Speed: | Over 25 knots (46 km/h) 14 knots (26 km/h), surfaced |
| Range: | 10 years (nuclear) 50 days of food |
| Complement: | 8 officers 48 petty officers |
| Armament: | 4 x 533 mm tubes Black Shark torpedoes |
The Barracuda is a planned nuclear attack submarine of the French Marine Nationale, designed by government shipbuilder DCN to replace the Rubis class submarines.
Barracudas will use technology from the Triomphant class, including pump jet propulsion. They will be fitted with vertical-launch cruise missiles for long-range strikes against land targets. Their missions will include anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, land attack, intelligence gathering, crisis management and special operations.
French Defence Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie reaffirmed the government's intention to notify a deal to build six Barracuda by the end of 2006, in her address at the Euronaval show in Paris on 25 October 2006. Alain Aupetit, DCN's Barracuda programme director, said the first boat would be delivered to the French Navy in 2016, to enter service in 2017. "The gap between the delivery of boats one and two will be two-and-a-half years," he said. "After that, we will deliver one boat every two years through to the delivery of the last submarine in 2026."
Total program cost was estimated in 2002 at "somewhat below $4.9 billion." [1]
"Competition at the subcontractor level will be open to foreign companies for the first time, according to the DGA." [2]
The Barracuda is rumoured to use X-shaped stern planes.
In October, 2006, the French government said it expected to award a contract for six Barracuda-class, nuclear-powered attack submarines to shipbuilder DCN and Areva SA by the end of this year. Defence Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie said the six submarines will be delivered from 2016 through 2026.
