Strategy Page
has penned an excellent article of August 14, 2019,
“Submarines: Barracuda
On July 12 [2019] the first of six new French Barracuda
class SSN's (nuclear attack submarines), the SNA Suffren, was launched [see]. This
first one is scheduled to enter service in 2020. All six will enter service in
the 2020s [see wiki]. Back in 2006, France decided to buy six new Barracuda class SSNs,
for about $1.5 billion each. The 4,700 ton (surface displacement) boats are
smaller than America's new 7,300 ton Virginia class subs (which cost about $2.8
billion each). A new [Husky?]
class of Russian SSNs will displace 6,000 tons. The older American Los Angeles
class boats were about 7,000 tons. Size does matter, as it indicates how much
space you have available for sensors and weapons. Larger boats are better
equipped and more heavily armed. The new Russian SSN construction was delayed
by shortages of cash and qualified shipyard personnel. The U.S. already had two
Virginia's in service by 2006 and now there are 17 with 11 under construction.
Two Virginia's a year are entering service, for an eventual total of about 60
subs.
Construction on the first Barracuda began in 2007 and it was
supposed to be launched by 2012. That launch date was tentative because the
development of the Barracuda nuclear power plant began in 2003 and soon ran
into problems [see
Pete’s earlier article]. Problems with the power plant were no surprise
because France, unlike Britain, did not license the American sub-power plant.
This would make it more difficult to export French nuclear subs and so on. The
French chose a different design that used commercial [actually LEU] (not
weapons) grade nuclear fuel. This meant French nuclear subs had to be refueled
more often but this was made easier by building the hull with special large
hatches that could be quickly opened for the once every 7-10 refueling then
sealed again. France is the only nation using this type of ship power plant and
has to handle development and maintenance procedures [by] itself. With a small
fleet of nuclear subs, this drives up the cost per sub. Britain, by licensing
the American tech, [see]
gets the benefit of a much larger American nuke fleet and the larger budget for
work on the power plants. Ever since the first Barracuda began construction,
the delays have come from power plant problems. By 2012 it was believed that
launch date could be 2017 but delays perfecting the power plant continued. The
sub could not be launched until the power plant was completed and the hull made
watertight
The Barracudas will rely on a lot of automation and have a
crew of sixty, plus berths for 12 passengers. These will usually be commandos
and their gear will be stored in a pod attached to subs sail. The Barracuda
design emphasized silencing, making it more difficult to detect. The
Barracuda's have four 533mm (21 inch) torpedo tubes, which can also be used to
launch missiles, mines or torpedoes. Twenty weapons are carried, the mix of
torpedoes, mines and missiles depends on the mission. French SSNs have two
crews which each having the boat for three months. Enough food is carried to
sustain the crew for 70 days. The nuclear power plant must be refueled every
ten years. Two more Barracudas are under construction,
In early 2016 Australia selected a French firm (DCNS [now
renamed Naval Group]) to build twelve new submarines for the Australian Navy.
Australians preferred the French design because it was a larger boat than those
offered by Germany and Japan. The French proposal was a diesel-electric version
of their new Suffren (Barracuda) class SSNs. This “Shortfin [Attack class]”
design [will be 4,500 ton] (in surface displacement) [hence less] than the
4,700 ton nuclear powered Suffren but was otherwise very similar with a crew of
about 60, four [to eight?] 533mm
torpedo tubes and 24 torpedoes, missiles or [around 48] mines.
A major selling point for the Barracuda was the proven
silencing technology France had developed for their SSNs [eg. the
propulsor/pumpjet]. This would now be added to an inherently quietly
diesel-electric design. The [Attack class] are
being built in Australia and will cost about $2.4 billion each. This [may]
include an AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) system that will allow these boats
to operate submerged for two weeks at a time. French firms will only control
about [a third to a] half of that, with much of the rest going to American
firms that will provide the [combat system, sensors] electronics and weapons.
The twelve [Attack
class] will replace six Collins-class boats and the first [Attack class] [may]
begin construction in 2022 and enter service in [the early to mid] 2030[s],
about when first of the six Collins-class subs are four decades old and very
due for retirement. France is offering the Shortfin Barracuda to India as well.”
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Another great StrategyPage
article is Submarine: Russia Got The AIP Blues of March 18, 2019 at https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsub/articles/20190318.aspx
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