A Day Below Deck: Our Lab's Visit to the Barracuda Submarine

For our October social, the Software Reliability Lab visited Portugal’s historic S164 NRP Barracuda submarine, now a museum ship.

Our visit to the Barracuda Submarine provided us with a unique opportunity to explore naval history and gain insights into the technological advancements of submarine engineering. The S164 NRP Barracuda, in service since May 4, 1968, carried out a wide range of national and international missions over its 42 years of active duty. Its operations included patrols in the British sea lines, the Canary Islands, and the Western Mediterranean. After completing its final mission in 2010, the Barracuda now serves as an “active” attraction open to the public, helping preserve and promote Portugal’s naval heritage. It belonged to the Albacora-class submarines.

The visit also included a tour of the Fragata D. Fernando II e Glória, a historic frigate that has been converted into a museum ship. Our visit ended with a lunch at a nearby restaurant, where we reflected on the experience and, of course, enjoyed some delicious Portuguese cuisine.

We would like to thank Bruno Lourenço, who kindly guided us through the submarine and shared his extensive knowledge about its history and operations. Thank you, Bruno, for making our visit both educational and memorable!

Some pictures from our visit

And finally, an edited photo for fun! (Can you spot the joke?)