The delivery came exactly four months after De Grasse began its first sea trials. Naval Group said the submarine benefited from feedback gained from the first three submarines in the programme.
De Grasse was rolled out of its construction hall in May 2025. It then completed dockside trials, the commissioning of its nuclear boiler room in December 2025 and a four-month sea trials campaign that started on 24 February 2026.
The delivery marks another milestone in the Barracuda programme. The first three submarines in the class, Suffren, Duguay-Trouin and Tourville, have already entered active service.
Suffren entered active service in June 2022, followed by Duguay-Trouin in April 2024 and Tourville in July 2025. The final two submarines in the programme, Rubis and Casabianca, are under construction at different stages of completion, with deliveries scheduled through the end of the decade.
The six Barracuda-class submarines are intended to replace the Rubis-class nuclear attack submarines in service with the French Navy. The programme is led by the French Defence Procurement Agency in partnership with the Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission for the nuclear boilers.
Naval Group is responsible for the production of the submarines in cooperation with its partners. Its role covers design, shipbuilding and manufacturing the main components of the nuclear boilers, which are developed and produced with TechnicAtome.
Naval Group is also responsible for providing logistical support and maintaining the submarines in Toulon. The arrangement supports the in-service phase of the Barracuda-class submarines after delivery to the French Navy.
The Barracuda-class submarine has a surface displacement of 4,700 tonnes and an underwater displacement of 5,200 tonnes. It is 99 metres long, has a diameter of 8.8 metres and can carry a crew of 65 personnel plus commandos.
The submarine’s armament includes naval cruise missiles, F21 heavyweight torpedoes and modernised Exocet SM39 anti-ship missiles. Its hybrid propulsion system includes a pressurised water reactor derived from those used on Triomphant-type ballistic missile submarines and the Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier, along with one propulsion turbine, two turbo generators and two electric motors.
The class is designed for availability of more than 270 days per year. With De Grasse now delivered, the Barracuda programme has reached its fourth completed submarine as Naval Group continues construction of the final two submarines.
