Barracuda program : first startup of the nuclear reactor on the SSN Duguay-Trouin

The Duguay-Trouin, the second nuclear attack submarine (SNA) in the Barracuda program, has just reached a major milestone with the divergence of its onboard nuclear reactor.

The startup of the Duguay-Trouin’s nuclear reactor took place on September 30, 2022, and was carried out by teams from TechnicAtome, Naval Group, with support from the submarine’s armament crew at the Cherbourg site, in accordance with authorizations issued by the Defense Nuclear Safety Authority and the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA).

This milestone—the first startup of the nuclear reactor—marks the prelude to the first tests of the submarine’s nuclear propulsion system.