What's new
Frozen in Carbonite

Welcome to FiC! Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

French Suffren SSN to be inaugurated on July 12th, 2019.

Rufus Shinra

Well-known member
7fun.jpg
xwdm.jpg
3kdr.jpg

(more pictures here: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-n...ear-powered-barracuda-submarine-idUKKCN1U61YR)

The Suffren nuclear attack submarine will be set to water tomorrow in presence of the French president and his minister for armed forces. It is the lead class of its namesake class (Barracuda programme) and will have a 5,400 tonnes displacement, twice as much as the Rubis class submarines it replaces.

Using a hybrid nuclear-electric propulsion (running electric at low speeds and using its nuclear reactor for propulsion at higher speeds), it's going to be a revolution for the French MN, bringing its SSN to the most modern standards out there (an attention given to SSBN before with the Triomphant class). Much quieter, cruise-missile capable (using the French-made MdCN), faster and deeper-diving, it will replace the Saphir that just got retired from service a few weeks ago (built in 1984):

sous-marin-11.jpg


Among the improvements, there'll be the pump-jet propulsion, the X-shaped dive controls as well as the option for a hangar to host a diver submarine propulsion system. The first crew, led by Commander Axel Roche, will take over the ship for trials in the next few days.

The seas welcome another boat.
 
Anyone know if there's there a benefit to 'X' shaped rudders ahead of the usual cruciform ones?

Apart from being different just because it's different of course, the French would never do that...
 
Anyone know if there's there a benefit to 'X' shaped rudders ahead of the usual cruciform ones?

Apart from being different just because it's different of course, the French would never do that...
The future USN SSBN, the Columbia class, will have these. Various SSK already have these too. The X bars allow higher precision in the maneuvers as well as full capacity even if one rudder is inoperable. These were implemented recently mainly because they were not considered reliable enough until the 90s/00s.

Columbia:

Columbia-class_submarine%2C_NAVSEA_concept.png
 
Back
Top Bottom