French Navy Receives De Grasse Barracuda Nuclear Attack Submarine for ASW and Strike Missions.

Naval Group has delivered De Grasse, the fourth Barracuda/Suffren-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, to the French Navy at Cherbourg, the company announced on 26 June 2026, strengthening France’s undersea fleet with another SSN built for anti-submarine warfare, strike missions, intelligence collection and special operations. The handover brings France closer to a six-boat force that will replace the aging Rubis-class submarines and sustain a key pillar of French deterrence and power projection.

De Grasse completed sea trials just four months after its first voyage on 24 February 2026, highlighting the accelerating pace of France’s submarine modernization program. With four Barracuda-class boats now delivered and two more under construction, the French Navy is expanding its fleet of quieter, more capable attack submarines designed to operate in contested waters and support future high-end naval warfare.

Related topic: U.S. Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray Aerial Refueling Drone Aboard USS Nimitz Redefines Carrier Strike Reach.

Naval Group has delivered De Grasse, France’s fourth Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarine, strengthening the French Navy’s undersea warfare, land-attack, anti-ship, intelligence, and special operations capabilities with F21 torpedoes, SM39 Exocet missiles, and MdCN naval cruise missiles (Picture source: Naval Group).

De Grasse is a 99-meter nuclear attack submarine with an 8.8-meter hull diameter, a surface displacement of 4,700 tonnes, and a submerged displacement of 5,200 tonnes. Naval Group lists a crew of 65 sailors plus commandos and an availability target above 270 days per year, a figure that matters because SSN value is measured less by nominal fleet size than by the number of hulls able to patrol, escort, train, or deploy at short notice. The propulsion arrangement combines a pressurized water reactor derived from those used in the Triomphant-class ballistic missile submarines and the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, one propulsion turbine, two turbo-generators, and two electric motors. Public technical reporting also identifies a pump-jet propulsor, X-configuration stern control surfaces, retractable forward sailplanes, non-hull-penetrating optronic masts, and bow, flank, and towed sonar arrays, all of which support quieter movement, improved low-speed control, and better acoustic detection compared with the older Rubis class.

The armament is the main difference between a Rubis-era French SSN and a Barracuda-generation SSN. De Grasse carries F21 heavyweight torpedoes, modernized Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles and MdCN naval cruise missiles, fired through 533 mm torpedo tubes; open reporting credits the class with four 21-inch bow tubes and space for up to 24 weapons, including weapons already loaded in the tubes. The F21 is the principal anti-submarine and anti-surface weapon: Naval Group gives it a length of about 6 m, a 533 mm diameter, a mass below 1,500 kg, a 50 km range, speed settings from 25 knots or less to 50 knots or more, and an operating depth band from 10 m or less to 500 m or more. It uses passive fiber-optic wire guidance during the launch phase, allowing data exchange with the firing submarine, but can continue autonomously if the wire is cut; its onboard processing is designed to operate in coastal waters, recognize decoys, modify speed for terminal effect, redirect to another target, and attempt a second attack if the first engagement fails.

The SM39 gives De Grasse a submerged anti-ship option against frigates, destroyers, amphibious ships and support vessels without forcing the submarine to close to torpedo range. MBDA’s data sheet lists the SM39 at 655 kg, 4.69 m long, 350 mm in diameter, high subsonic speed and more than 50 km range; the missile is encapsulated in a watertight, propelled and guided underwater vehicle launched from a standard 21-inch torpedo tube, then transitions to sea-skimming flight with inertial navigation and active RF terminal homing. The MdCN changes the mission set more fundamentally, because it allows a submerged French SSN to strike fixed land targets at several hundred kilometers’ range from an undisclosed firing area. In operational terms, the torpedo is the close and medium-range undersea kill weapon, the SM39 is a reaction weapon against surface combatants, and the MdCN is a conventional strategic strike weapon for air bases, command facilities, logistics nodes, or coastal defense infrastructure.

This weapons mix gives commanders several load configurations rather than a single tactical profile. An escort mission for the Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group or for French ballistic missile submarines would normally prioritize F21 torpedoes and SM39 missiles, because the immediate threat would be hostile submarines or surface combatants. A national strike mission would allocate more space to MdCN missiles and rely on the SSN’s acoustic discretion to create an unpredictable launch axis. A special operations mission would use the submarine less as a missile carrier and more as a covert insertion asset: Naval Group states that Barracuda-class submarines can deploy special forces through a diver hatch and can optionally carry a dry deck shelter for underwater vehicles.

For France, the delivery of De Grasse is therefore not only a fleet renewal milestone but a change in patrol capacity. Four Barracuda-class SSNs in service reduce dependence on the aging Rubis class, give the Navy more flexibility between the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific, and increase the probability that one submarine can be assigned to carrier escort, one to strategic submarine protection, one to intelligence or crisis response, and another to training or maintenance cycles. The program also preserves a sovereign industrial chain involving the DGA, CEA, TechnicAtome and Naval Group, from reactor components to final assembly and in-service support at Toulon. The practical issue for France is no longer whether the class introduces new missions, but how quickly the remaining two submarines can be absorbed into fleet operations, crew generation and weapons stockpiles without creating a gap between hull availability and combat readiness.

Explore More Defense News

• Land Defense News
• Naval Defense News
• Defense Aerospace News

Written by Evan Lerouvillois, Defense Analyst.

Evan studied International Relations, and quickly specialized in defense and security. He is particularly interested in the influence of the defense sector on global geopolitics, and analyzes how technological innovations in defense, arms export contracts, and military strategies influence the international geopolitical scene.