The nuclear-powered attack submarine Tourville was formally inducted into active service by the French Navy on July 4, 2025. The ceremony marked the culmination of nearly 14 years of design, engineering, testing, and strategic planning, and reaffirmed France’s commitment to maintaining a cutting-edge submarine force capable of operating globally.
The Tourville is the third unit of the Suffren-class — also known as the Barracuda-class — a new generation of nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) developed under a multibillion-euro program intended to replace the aging Rubis-class submarines. Named in honor of Vice Admiral Anne Hilarion de Costentin de Tourville, a 17th-century French naval hero, the vessel represents a significant leap in stealth, endurance, and firepower.
The construction of Tourville began with the ceremonial cutting of the first steel sheet on June 28, 2011, at the Naval Group shipyard in Cherbourg — the same historic facility that has served as the heart of French submarine development for generations. Following over a decade of meticulous assembly, integration of cutting-edge systems, and nuclear propulsion components, the submarine was finally rolled out from its construction hall and moved to the launch platform on July 20, 2023.
A major technical milestone came on April 24, 2024, when Tourville’s nuclear reactor achieved initial criticality. This event signified the safe start-up of the submarine’s pressurized water reactor, a core step in validating its propulsion system.
Sea trials began just weeks later on July 12, 2024. On July 17, the submarine successfully conducted its first dive, testing structural integrity and submerged systems. Unlike its predecessors — Suffren and Duguay-Trouin — which each required over a year between sea trials and commissioning, Tourville returned to Cherbourg for rapid post-trial modifications and was delivered to the French Navy in a record time of just four months, on November 16, 2024.
The Tourville is part of the Barracuda program — a €9.1 billion initiative launched in December 2006 to build six next-generation attack submarines. The program is led by Naval Group (formerly DCNS) in partnership with nuclear reactor specialist TechnicAtome, under the supervision of the French defense procurement agency DGA.
The lead boat, Suffren, entered active service on June 3, 2022, after extensive sea trials that began in 2020. The second submarine, Duguay-Trouin, followed. Together with Tourville, these vessels form the core of France’s revamped SSN fleet.
The remaining three submarines — De Grasse, Rubis II (name unconfirmed), and Casabianca — are in various stages of construction and testing. De Grasse has already commenced sea trials and is expected to enter service by 2026.
When completed, the Barracuda fleet will replace all six Rubis-class boats commissioned between 1983 and 1993, two of which (Améthyste and Perle) remain in limited service until their scheduled decommissioning.
Each Barracuda-class submarine, including Tourville, is powered by the K15 nuclear reactor — the same type used in France’s ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). The reactor can operate for up to 10 years without refueling, giving the submarine virtually unlimited range and an underwater endurance of up to 70 days, limited only by crew sustenance.
A key innovation is the pump-jet propulsion system, replacing the traditional propeller. This design reduces cavitation, making the submarine significantly quieter and harder to detect — a critical attribute in modern undersea warfare.
The Tourville measures approximately 99 meters in length, displaces 5,300 tons submerged, and carries a crew of about 65. It boasts four 533 mm torpedo tubes capable of deploying a versatile array of weapons:
- F21 Artemis Heavyweight Torpedoes: A new generation torpedo developed by Naval Group, offering greater range, guidance, and resistance to countermeasures.
- Exocet SM39 Anti-Ship Missiles: Capable of striking surface vessels from underwater launch positions.
- MdCN Cruise Missiles: Land-attack missiles with a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers, enabling strategic strikes on high-value inland targets.
The submarine is also designed to support Special Forces operations, equipped with a dry deck shelter for deploying combat swimmers, unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and advanced sensors for intelligence gathering and electronic warfare.
With its global reach and advanced capabilities, Tourville significantly enhances France’s maritime security posture. The French Navy now operates nine nuclear-powered submarines — four Le Triomphant-class SSBNs (strategic deterrent) and five attack submarines, including the three Barracuda-class vessels.
This undersea force enables France to maintain:
- Continuous at-sea deterrence (CASD) through its ballistic missile submarines, forming the sea leg of the French nuclear triad.
- Forward presence and surveillance in contested zones, including the Indo-Pacific, Mediterranean, and North Atlantic.
- Sea denial and freedom of navigation enforcement, particularly in areas threatened by adversarial naval activity or anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) tactics.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu emphasized the submarine’s role in national defense:
“The Tourville is more than a vessel — it is a symbol of France’s sovereignty beneath the waves. In a world where maritime dominance is increasingly contested, this submarine ensures that France remains a decisive actor, both in Europe and across the globe.”
The commissioning of Tourville comes amid a global resurgence in submarine development. NATO allies, including the United States and the United Kingdom, are advancing their own SSN programs — such as the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class and the UK’s Astute-class submarines. In parallel, China, Russia, and India are expanding their undersea fleets in both quantity and capability.
The growing strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific — with flashpoints in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait — further highlights the role of stealthy, nuclear-powered submarines in intelligence collection, strategic signaling, and, if necessary, combat operations.
France, with territories like New Caledonia and French Polynesia, maintains a permanent military presence in the Pacific. The Barracuda-class submarines, with their long-range, endurance, and precision strike capabilities, offer a credible deterrent in these far-flung theaters.
The Barracuda program also carries immense significance for France’s defense industrial base. Naval Group, the lead contractor, employs thousands of engineers, technicians, and naval architects, many of them based in Cherbourg, Brest, Toulon, and Paris.
TechnicAtome’s reactor development ensures France’s continued expertise in naval nuclear propulsion — a domain shared only with a few nations. The integration of sensors, combat management systems (CMS), and weapon systems also benefits French defense electronics firms like Thales and Safran.
Moreover, the export variant of the Barracuda — the Shortfin Barracuda — was selected by Australia in 2016 under the now-cancelled $90 billion Attack-class submarine program. Although the deal was later scrapped in favor of AUKUS and U.S.-UK nuclear submarine technology, it signaled global confidence in the Barracuda platform’s design and potential.
With Tourville entering service, the French Navy is now preparing for the arrival of De Grasse and subsequent units. The full Barracuda fleet is expected to be operational by 2030, marking the completion of a generational transition in France’s undersea warfare capabilities.
Meanwhile, planning has already begun for the next-generation SSBNs under the SNLE 3G (Sous-marin Nucléaire Lanceur d’Engins de 3e Génération) program, set to replace the Le Triomphant-class beginning in the 2030s. The knowledge and experience gained from the Barracuda program will feed directly into that effort, ensuring technological continuity.
The French Navy’s undersea force will thus continue to play a decisive role in securing France’s defense interests, enforcing its maritime claims, and upholding international security in a time of rapid geopolitical change.
With Tourville, France has added another formidable asset to its growing arsenal of strategic maritime platforms. The submarine not only enhances national defense but also serves as a projection of French technological excellence, deterrence credibility, and global reach.
