What is this new high-intensity exercise in which the Suffren nuclear submarine has just participated?

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If you follow French submarine news at all, you know that it is complicated to know their situation on a day-to-day basis. Logically, the military authorities issue, in fact, little information on these submersiblesall built on the Naval Group site in Cherbourg (Manche).

And this, even during large-scale operations. If they are cited, submarines remain anonymous. This was particularly the case for the last major exercise in which the French Navy participated.

From November 26 to 29, 2024the training division (DIVENT) of the Naval Action Force (FAN) thus organized a new edition of the Skyshark exercise off the coast of Brittany “allowing the French, British, American, Spanish and Dutch navies to train for high-intensity combat in real conditions, with a view to a confrontation between powers”.

In its communication, the French Navy mentioned the different buildings deployed during these four days: the multi-mission frigate Aquitaine, the high-seas patrol vessel Enseigne Jacoubet, a Caïman Marine helicopter from Flotilla 33F as well as… a nuclear attack submarine (SNA), without naming it as usual.

“A beast of war”, according to military authorities

Only, through a few small indiscretions and cross-checks, we were able to learn that it was the SNA Suffren, first in series of the Barracuda program.

Admitted to active service on June 3, 2022, he has since carried out a series of missions with success, according to feedback from the authorities who have praised him on several occasions.

The Suffren is a war beast, with which we are very satisfied. The feedback from the Rubis made it possible to create a very good boat for various reasons. It is particularly suited to the fight against submarines and it carries a certain number of technologies.

Remember that the Suffren was joined in the ranks of the Navy by the Duguay-Trouin in April 2024 and that the Tourville will do the same during the first half of 2025, allowing the Suffren class to take the upper hand numerically over the Rubis classalways represented by Amethyst and Pearl.

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