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, followed by six options. The contracts cover design, development, production and through-life support. The initial contract is worth over €1 billion out of a projected total of €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 Poimboeuf 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 ".
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- The Barracuda class specifications
