Second Suffren-class nuclear submarine delivered to French Navy

The announcement of the late July delivery was made by the Ministry of Armed Forces on 10 August and the process of further sea trials, evaluation and a lengthy deployment will now begin before the eventual commissioning of the boat.

The sea trials before handover began in March and included evaluation of the nuclear propulsion system and performance at a range of speeds and depths.

Specifically the tests included a static dive, or immersion without propelled movement, to check the stability of the submarine; surface and diving tests; safety and operation of the installations, including its nuclear boiler room; and diving tests to verify the operation of its combat system, including its ability to implement its weapons and communicate.

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These tests were led by the DGA in conjunction with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission and in close partnership with the French Navy and Naval Group and TechnicAtome.

The service’s first of class, Suffren, was commissioned into service in June 2022, 18 months after it was handed over to the French Navy for testing.

The Suffren-class submarines will replace the existing Rubis- and Amethyste-class and provide France with an enhanced sub-surface attack capability.

Duguay-Trouin was laid down on 26 June 2009 and had been due to be delivered in 2022, while the next boat Tourville was laid down on 28 June 2011. The first four are all at different stages of construction and are planned to be delivered by 2025.

All six SSNs are planned to be handed over by 2030. Tourville was rolled out on 20 July 2023 and is expected to start sea trials in 2024.