France Launches Barracuda Nuclear Submarine Program
(Source: defense-aerospace.com; published Dec. 22, 2006)
PARIS --- The French Ministry of Defence has awarded the DCN shipyards group a contract for the development and production of the Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarine. Valued at 7.87 billion euros, the entire Barracuda program covers six boats, but the initial 1.4 billion contract signed yesterday funds the research and development phase and the construction of the lead boat.
Displacing 5,300 tonnes, the new submarines will be twice as large as the Rubis-class boats they will replace, and roughly the same size as the Royal Navy’s Trafalgar-class boats. The Barracuda, fitted with four launch tubes, will be able to carry up to 20 heavy weapons (a combination of heavyweight torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and Scalp naval cruise missiles) and to accommodate a dozen commandos, whose equipment will be carried in a mobile pod attached to the deck, aft of the sail. The boat is designed for operational cruises of up to 70 days.
The Barracuda will be built at DCN’s Cherbourg plant, while its nuclear propulsion unit, derived from that developed for the “Le Terrible” nuclear missile submarine, will be supplied by Areva TA under the prime contractorship of the French atomic energy commission, CEA. Barracuda’s nuclear propulsion offers two significant advantages over previous generations: it will require refuelling once every ten years (instead of every seven years for the Rubis-class), while the enrichment process will use the same nuclear fuel as that used by French nuclear power stations. These innovations will substantially reduce the total cost of ownership of the new boats.
The first Barracuda-class boat is to enter service in 2017, with the others following every two years until 2026, when the sixth and last boat is due to be commissioned. (ends)
Barracuda Contract Awarded
(Source: DCN; issued Dec. 22, 2006)
The French defence procurement agency (DGA) today announced that it has awarded the Barracuda SSN contract to the DCN group and partner Areva-TA. The contract calls for the delivery of six new-generation nuclear-powered attack submarines, or SSNs, and through-life support services during their first years of operational service.
The programme has been split into an initial contract (tranche ferme), followed by six options (tranches conditionnelles). The contracts cover design, development, production and through-life support. The initial contract is worth over EUR 1 billion out of a projected total of EUR 8 billion over 20 years. The first Barracuda SSN is scheduled for delivery in 2016. The group’s contribution will be led by DCN Cherbourg supported by Lorient, Indret, Ruelle, Toulon and Saint-Tropez along with industrial partners in several regions of France.
Within the DCN/Areva TA programme consortium, DCN will act as the submarine prime contractor, including responsibilities as overall architect, platform and propulsion system prime contractor, systems integrator, nuclear safety studies coordinator and through-life support prime contractor while Areva TA will act as prime contractor for the nuclear powerplant.
The Barracuda programme will meet the French Navy’s operational mission needs by providing replacements for six current-generation Rubis-class SSNs. In addition to anti-surface and anti-submarine capabilities, the Barracuda will accommodate intelligence gathering and the deployment of special forces and carry MDCN cruise missiles providing a land strike capability. The payload of 20 tube-launched weapons will comprise a mix of future heavyweight torpedoes, cruise missiles and SM39 anti-ship missiles.
Expressing his satisfaction with the contract, DCN Chairman & CEO Jean-Marie Poimbœuf said: “In the same way as the FREMM programme has given our surface combatant business new visibility, this contract gives our submarine construction business production visibility extending 20 years into the future.”
For Areva TA Chairman & CEO Dominique Mockly, “This contract gives us significant production visibility in shipboard powerplants and while enabling us to maintain our skills base in nuclear propulsion for warships.
DCN is a major player on the European and world markets for value-adding naval defence systems. As a naval prime contractor, shipbuilder and systems integrator, DCN combines resources and expertise spanning the naval defence value chain and entire system lifecycles. DCN offers client navies a wide range of innovative solutions from integrated warships to strategic systems, equipment and services.
As a subsidiary of AREVA group, AREVA TA designs, carries out, operates and maintains in operating conditions energy supply systems for naval propulsion and vital systems for transportation. AREVA TA proposes its customers engineering, equipment and services combining safety, availability and reliability, throughout all life-cycle of complex facilities. AREVA TA belongs to the Reactors & Services branch of AREVA group and employs 2.000 people.
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