Suffren class (Barracuda)
Suffren class (Barracuda) is a nuclear-powered submarine operated by Marine nationale, powered by K15-derived of about 150 MWt. Operating.
The single most important datapoint in the naval fuel debate. France runs attack submarines on fuel enriched to roughly the same level as a commercial power reactor. It costs them refuelling outages the US Navy does not have, but it proves that a capable nuclear navy does not require weapons-grade material.
| Reactor | K15-derived |
|---|---|
| Reactors per vessel | 1 |
| Thermal output | 150MWt |
| Fuel enrichment | ~5–6% U-235LEU |
| Refuelling | About every 10 years |
| Category | submarine |
|---|---|
| Role | SSN |
| Operator | Marine nationale |
| Country | France |
| Vessels in class | not stated |
| In service from | 2020 |
| Status | Operating |
Other submarines
| Class | Enrichment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| AUKUS submarines | HEU | Planned |
| Akula class | - | Operating |
| Alfa class | HEU | Retired |
| Arihant class | HEU | Operating |
| Astute class | HEU | Operating |
| Borei class | HALEU | Operating |
| Columbia class | HEU | Under construction |
| Dreadnought class | HEU | Under construction |
| Han class (Type 091) | - | Operating |
| Le Triomphant class | LEU | Operating |
| Los Angeles class | HEU | Operating |
| Ohio class | HEU | Operating |
| Oscar II class | - | Operating |
| Seawolf class | HEU | Operating |
| Type 093 and 094 (Shang and Jin) | LEU | Operating |
| Typhoon class | - | Retired |
| USS Nautilus | HEU | Retired |
| Vanguard class | - | Operating |
| Virginia class | HEU | Operating |
| Xia class (Type 092) | - | Retired |
| Yasen class | HALEU | Operating |
Suffren class (Barracuda) in context
It is one of 22 submarine programs on record, 15 of them operating and 4 retired, and one of 3 naval reactor programs from the same country.
Each of its reactors is rated about 150 MWt; across the 19 submarine programs with a stated rating the median is 165 MWt, and this one ranks 12th.
Its fuel is recorded as LEU, the same as 2 of the other 15 submarine programs with a stated enrichment class.
It entered service in 2020, 6 years ago; the submarine programs on record entered service between 1955 and 2020, and this one is the 17th earliest of 17.
| Measure | Suffren class (Barracuda) | Median of submarine programs | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal power per reactor (MWt) | 150 | 165 | 12 of 19 |
| Entered service | 2020 | 1997 | 17 of 17 (earliest first) |
Worked out from the entries on this site only, so a figure compares Suffren class (Barracuda) with what is recorded here, not with everything that exists. An entry with no value for a measure is left out of that measure's ranking and median.
Sources
- World Nuclear Association, Nuclear-Powered Ships · retrieved 2026-09-07
How these sources are used, including the corrections applied on top of them and what is deliberately left blank · download the underlying data