Suffren (Barracuda) class submarine - Design
The Suffren - class submarines are almost one and a half times smaller in displacement than the American Virginia-class submarines , but are larger in size than the British Astute - class submarines , which entered service after 2010 . The SSN Suffren had a displacement of around 4,100 tonnes, 70% more than the Amethyste-class submarines. Its maximum speed was 47 km/h and its diving depth was over 350 meters. The Suffren-class submarine's hull was made of 21 steel rings. The design features of these submarines include a water jet propulsion system and X-shaped tail. The crew of a Suffren-class submarine in peacetime consists of 60 people.
In the control room, rathr than a fully digital installation, there are still "good old" valve handles, knobs, pressure gauges on board (except in the wardroom, sleeping compartments and maybe much less, but they are still present here and there, in the control room). This is obviously done for safety reasons and that "fully digital" installations on board submarines are unlikely to appear anytime soon. The two consoles to the right of the commander are designed to operate the sonars. One console is for the acoustic analyst (the so-called "oreille d'or", which means "golden ear" in French). The second can also perform bottom tracking, which will allow the submarine crew to accurately determine their location by analyzing the shape of the seabed. Obviously, this will only work in a well-studied area, but it is a big plus in conditions without GPS or if the submarine needs to remain underwater for long periods of time and cannot recalibrate its inertial navigation system. The officers’ mess space was spacious, modern and very comfortable. There was private/closed Wi-Fi on board, allowing the crew to access key data wherever they were on board the boat. The Wi-Fi network also serves as a security measure, allowing each crew member to be located 24/7 (via an RFID chip on the sailors’ uniform). Cew cabins, each with 6 berths per cabin, were comfortable, with each bunk having its own light, power outlet and USB port. The USB port gives sailors access to an entertainment platform, where they can watch movies during their free time. Submarine compartments are crammed with equipment: valves, pumps, cables, electrical panels. The density of the onboard equipment is excessive. And not for nothing, if the aircraft must be as light as possible for flight, the submarine must have a density identical to the density of water in order to maneuver. "A submarine is the most complex object ever designed and manufactured by man." To manufacture a nuclear submarine with ballistic missiles, about 1,000,000 elementary parts are required, while to manufacture a car, "only" 10,000 are required. The Suffren, first-born of the Barracuda program had new wire-guided torpedoes and anti-ship missiles modernized. This type of weaponry currently used on Rubis class SNA would be enriched with a new weapon with a strategic effect: the naval cruise missile (MDCN). The latter can discreetly reach precisely a terrestrial target located several hundred kilometers away. It offered a real strategic capability, which can be implemented in "precursor" operation or in direct cooperation with a carrier group, if necessary closer to the conflict zone.
In addition to anti-surface and anti-submarine capabilities, the Barracuda accommodated 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 comprise a mix of future heavyweight torpedoes, cruise missiles and SM39 anti-ship missiles. Barracuda-class SNA would be armed with cruise-missiles planned for future Multi-Missions European Frigates (FREMM), the future heavy torpedo (FTL) which replaced the F17 torpedo, the SM 39 anti-surface missile(exocet family), and the FG 29 mine.
The submarine was equipped with four 533 mm torpedo tubes, and can also carry up to 18 torpedoes and missiles in a mixed version. The Suffren-class submarine carries new heavy torpedoes. The Suffren-class submarine can carry torpedoes such as the F21 Artemis and Black Shark, developed by DCNS and WASS. The F21 “Artemis” was a French-made torpedo designed to be launched from submarine torpedo tubes, was 6 meters long and weighs 1.3 tons. The combined guidance system includes an active-passive acoustic guidance system and fiber-optic cable remote control. The F21 torpedo had a maximum speed of up to 93 km/h and a range of up to 44 km.
The Suffren-class submarine can carry Exocet missiles, an upgraded version of the SM39 Exocet Block 2 missile, launched from a torpedo tube. Armed with a 165 kg warhead, Exocet uses inertial cruise guidance and active radar guidance in the terminal phase of flight. The missile flies at a high subsonic speed of 1101 km/h at a range of up to 50 km, which allows the submarine to enter combat while remaining outside the enemy’s detection and engagement zone. Flexibility and versatility are ensured by the system’s wide launch range.
The Suffren class submarine can carry the Naval Scalp missile, a new land-attack cruise missile developed by MBDA that can be fired from NATO-standard 533mm torpedo tubes. The missile was a derivative of the Scalp EG and Storm Shadow air-launched missiles. The missile had the ability to hit targets with high precision at ranges of up to 1,000 km. “Naval Scalp” had inertial guidance, which was constantly updated in flight using digital terrain mapping and GPS (global positioning system). Infrared homing and automatic target recognition provide guidance to the final target. The Scalp Naval variant had a longer body than the air-launched version, and the wings extend from inside the missile body after launch, rather than being mounted externally. The missile was being developed for both submarine torpedo tube ejection and vertical launch from surface ships.
On December 29, 2006, the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) awarded MBDA a 910 million Euro contract funding the development and production of 250 SCALP Naval missiles. The French Navy would take delivery of these missiles to equip the FREMM frigates (200 missiles) and Barracuda-class nuclear submarines (50 missiles).
The fire control system was represented by SYCOBS (system of combat for Barracuda and SSBN) developed by DCN and Thales. The combat system integrates active and passive sensors, electronic, optoelectronic and data processing sensors, processing of signals of loaded external tactical data, launch and control of torpedoes, missiles and countermeasures, external communications and navigation. The communications complex includes satellite and ultra-long acoustic communication lines.
The Suffren-class submarines had an unmanned underwater vehicle on their hull, through which the submarine can lay mines or carry 12 commandos, whose equipment can be transported in a mobile capsule. The special forces projection capability would finally be extended, particularly thanks to the submarine bridge hangar. This removable equipment could be "hooked" to the submarine and thus make the SNA type Suffren a discreet rear base for special operations and even in coalition.
The boat is equipped with optronic masts, i.e. it does not have periscopes, for which it would be necessary to make holes in the strong hull. Another area in which Suffren is revolutionizing is maintenance. The new submarine requires only one maintenance stop per year (lasting about 2.5 months) and can then spend more than 200 days at sea.
The Barracuda-class SNA would be, like the Rubis-class SNA it was meant to replace, nuclear-powered. The powerplant was built by Technicatome. The nuclear reactor was derived from the models used on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and SNLE submarines. It was meant to allow for a sustained speed of 22 knots for more than 20 days. The nuclear propulsion system was a new hybrid design, providing electric propulsion for economical cruising speeds and turbo-mechanical propulsion for higher speeds. The power plant was based on technologies developed for the 150 MW K15 pressurized water reactor installed on the Triomphant-class submarine and the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.
The French placed the main emphasis on completely new boat control technologies, as well as the fact that when underwater it will produce no more noise than “a school of shrimp” thanks to its water jet propulsion.
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