The future French SSN and SSBN Programs - DCNS Prototype for Australian CEP

Barracuda SSN Name	Laid down	Launch (est.)	Commissioning (est.)
Suffren	19 December 2007	end of 2017 (the crew expect)	end 2018 or 2019
Duguay-Trouin	26 June 2009	?	end 2020
Tourville	28 June 2011	?	2022
Grasse	?	?	2025
Ruby	?	?	2027
Casabianca	?	?	2029

The Shortfin that France is offering is to be a conventional version of the future Barracuda SSN. The first Barracuda, the Suffren, was laid down in 2007 and apparently will be launched late 2017 (see Suffren's future crew article) and commissioned late 2018.

What occurred in the decade (so far) of Barracuda/Suffren's construction has not been explained to the Australian public or appeared in the media. Apparently the French Government delayed the construction schedule due to:

-  changing mission requirements involving redesign (changes to submarine) perhaps in view of the growing threat from Russia and greater intelligence gathering needs in the post 9/11 War on Terror

-  to reduce annual Barracuda construction spending in order to cross subsidize other defence programs and civilian budget items (following the 2008 Global Financial Crisis?)


The French Government then reasoned the 8 year delay offered the advantage of being able to smooth (budget and labour force) transition from the last Barracuda (launch around 2028) to the development of the SSBN class replacing the current Triomphant SSBNs. Replacement SSBN class design work will accelerate from the late 2020s with perhaps the replacement SSBN first of class being laid down around 2037.

These need to redesign, re-budget and program transition reasons for the delay in launching the Barracudas have made sense to the French Government that ultimately owns DCNS but it still involves much non-scheduled uncertainty - something ASC is already too good at. The private competitors to DCNS in Australia's Future Submarine contest (that is TKMS, MHI and KHI) would find it unprofitable to have the first 3 submarines of a class (see Table above) sitting in huge sheds  under construction for 10 years (on average) before those 3 submarines are actually launched.

The Australian war-ship-building industry can benefit from greater certainty and discipline in what is Australia's most expensive defence project ever.

The Japanese Soryu's building record [Table below] with the prototype for the Australian Soryu [if Japan is chosen] shows certainty not only down to yearly milestones, but frequently down to the month. Very methodical, on-time, on-budget.

JAPANESE (MHI/KHI BUILT) HULL PROTOTYPE FOR AUS SORYU CONTENDER (2007-2017 LAUNCHES,  8 LAUNCHED + 2 (EXPECTED)