Singapore, tKMS Ink Deal For 2 More Submarines

THYSSENKRUPP Marine Systems (tKMS) has inked a deal with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) for two more Invincible-class submarines. This follows an announcement from the Ministry of Defence in March for the purchase of two more submarines to give the RSN a sub-surface fleet comprising six submarines made by the German firm.

The contract was signed on May 7 by tKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard and Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) Chief Executive Ng Chad-Son , increasing tKMS’ order book to a record US$18 billion. Burkhard said, “The order expansion underscores the generally positive market situation in naval shipbuilding and gives us the opportunity to further expand our very well-filled order book. We are also proud that Singapore has once again placed its trust in us, as our partnership goes far beyond the production of submarines. We feel deeply connected to the country and contribute to the security and defence capabilities of our customer’s country with our products.”

Singapore’s defence minister Ng Eng Hen said in March, “Four submarines are not optimal for a fleet. Our submarines are subjected to more rigorous and frequent maintenance cycles with stringent checks; as you can imagine, they need to operate under intense pressure, literally. “Operational time is conversely reduced relatively. This is why most navies that operate submarines have more than four – Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam – to name a few of our close neighbours. Having proven that the Invincible-class submarines can perform to expectations in tropical waters, the SAF plans to procure two more submarines, to make up a total of six, as the steady state for our submarine fleet.” 

The RSN’s first two Invincible submarines, RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable were both commissioned last September, attaining full operational capability while the fourth and third vessels, Illustrious and Inimitable are currently progressing well in trials and acceptance. They are expected to arrive in Singapore by 2028.

According to the defence ministry, the new submarines are expected to be delivered from 2034 onwards, tKMS added that the order extension can be handled within existing capacities in Germany, despite high capacity utilisation until the 2040s. The company received billions of orders last year, including four additional Type 212CD submarines for the German Navy, the new Polarstern research icebreaker, and
funding for the project launch of the new F127 frigate generation.

TKMS is also focusing on the highest technical requirements for the order extension from Singapore. The Invincible-class vessels, designated Type 218SG is designed to minimise its signature. The air-independent propulsion (AIP) system also enables the boats to remain underwater for longer periods.

Additionally, tKMS and Italy’s Fincantieri joined forces to offer the Philippine Navy (PN) advanced submarine solutions in the form of the U212 NFS (Near Future Submarine). The Philippines has been keen on procuring at least two submarines to enhance its archipelagic defence and securing its territorial waters, especially in the South China Sea.-shp/adj/dl (Pix:SG MINDEF)