France orders another cruise missile-capable sub

PARIS ― France is to acquire a fifth Barracuda nuclear attack submarine, the Armed Forces Ministry confirmed in a May 7 statement.

The decision was made during a May 2 ministerial investment meeting held by Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly.

Adm. Christophe Prazuck, the French Navy chief of staff, told the parliamentary defense committee in October he expected the fifth boat to be ordered in 2018.

The draft 2019-2025 multiyear budget law includes funding for six Barracuda boats, of which four are due to be delivered by 2025, the ministry said.

The Barracuda will be armed with naval cruise missiles and be capable of deploying special forces while underwater.

Delivery of the Suffren, the first-of-class Barracuda, is due in 2020, some three years late.

More In Naval

Space Operations Command preps for new shared domain awareness tool

The remaining ATLAS software is slated for delivery in the first quarter of 2025.

New US Space Force jammers aim to disrupt China’s SATCOM signals

The Remote Modular Terminals, which disrupt adversary satellites by "yelling in their ear," as one official put it, are cleared for initial fielding,

Space Force must grow to counter China and Russia, lawmaker says

House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said the service is not sized to meet increasing threats from China and Russia.

SpaceX launches rapid response GPS mission

The effort, dubbed Rapid Response Trailblazer, was meant to demonstrate the ability to quickly plan and launch a mission in around six months.

Space Command strategy aims to boost commercial role in operations

The updated strategy, approved in November, focuses on SPACECOM’s core tasks and how commercial space capabilities fit within those areas.