The media reported that France is testing a new multi-purpose nuclear submarine it has developed for its army.
On this occasion, French Defense Minister Sebastien Licorne said: “The second Barracuda-class multipurpose nuclear submarine has passed the first stage of sea trials. The tests were carried out in the English Channel between March 27 and 28, and the submarine was able to successfully dive into the water.”
According to the Interfax news agency, the submarine has returned to the shipyard of the Naval Group in Cherbourg and will undergo a series of tests in the Atlantic and Mediterranean seas in the coming months.
In 2006, the French government signed contracts with the Naval Group worth 8 billion euros for the purchase of 6 Barracuda-class multipurpose nuclear submarines, to replace these submarines with Rubi submarines built in the 1980s for the country’s army.
Each Barracuda submarine is 99 meters long, 8.8 meters wide and has a displacement of 4,700 tons. It can move at a speed of 25 knots, dive to a depth of 350 meters, carry a crew of 63 people, in addition to 15 military personnel.
These submarines are armed with 533mm F21 torpedoes, SM-39 anti-ship missiles and naval targets, as well as Scalp Naval cruise missiles designed to combat coastal targets.
Source: Weapons of Russia
