Yesterday, the Singapore Navy confirmed the purchase of two additional Type 218SG attack submarines from the German company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), moving forward with the plans we reported at the beginning of March. In this way, the Asian country will be able to count on a fleet of six Invincible-class submarines in the future to replace its aging Challenger-class units, with the RSS Invincible, RSS Impeccable, RSS Illustrious, and RSS Inimitable currently constructed.
On this matter, Oliver Burkhard, who currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, stated: “The expansion of orders underscores the generally positive state of the shipbuilding market and gives us the opportunity to further expand our extensive order portfolio. We are also proud that Singapore has once again placed its trust in us, as our cooperation goes far beyond submarine production. We feel deeply connected to the country and contribute to the security and defense capabilities of our client’s country with our products.”
Briefly reviewing the features of the new submarines acquired by Singapore, we can affirm that these are vessels with a length of 70 meters and a beam of 6.3 meters, displacing a total of around 2,200 tons. Each unit stands out for featuring an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, which allows them to increase the amount of time they can remain submerged, in addition to minimizing their signature to avoid detection by enemy radars.
Additionally, the submarine integrates a high degree of automation that allows the number of crew members required for operation to be reduced, which is complemented by design adjustments to include separate facilities for female crew members. Furthermore, the hull of each unit was adapted to better withstand the levels of salinity and temperature typical of the waters in the region where they will operate, whose values are higher than those originally considered in the German design.
Finally, it is worth noting that the acquisition represents a major business opportunity for TKMS in economic terms, bringing its order book to a value of 16 billion euros, according to official information provided by the German company itself. However, it remains to be seen how it will manage the high demand that will be placed on its industrial capacities, considering it is responsible for the construction of four new Type 212CD submarines for the German Navy, a new Polarstern research icebreaker, and the next-generation F127 frigate project.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only
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