Ben Hur Plug Up: Singapore to acquire more Type 218SG subs from Germany

Wednesday 17 May 2017

Singapore to acquire more Type 218SG subs from Germany

By: Mike Yeo, May 16, 2017

SINGAPORE — Singapore has announced it will acquire two more submarines from Germany, adding to the two it acquired in 2013.

In an announcement made at the opening day of the defense and maritime exhibition IMDEX Asia in Singapore, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the two boats will replace the older submarines of the Republic of Singapore Navy, or RSN.

The latest submarines will be delivered from 2024 onward, with Ng calling the latest acquisition “another important step in the RSN’s modernization effort”. Ng also said that the first two Type 218SG submarines from Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems are on track to be delivered in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

A news release from Singapore’s Defence Ministry added that construction of the first two Type 218SGs are progressing following the first steel cutting in 2014. No contract value for the new submarines was released, but it had previously been reported that the original contract was worth $1.8 billion.

The 230-foot-long Type 218SG has a displacement of 2,000 tons. Figures released by TKMS indicate that the crew size of the class is 28. According to Singapore’s Defence Ministry, the design is “tailored to meet the RSN’s unique operational requirements,” and the boats “incorporate design innovation and advanced maintenance and engineering concepts to optimise training, operation and maintenance costs.”

Class overview
Name: Type 218SG , Builders: ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Kiel
Operators: Republic of Singapore Navy , Preceded by: Archer-class submarine
Cost: <$1 billion USD ,Building: 2 ,Planned: 4
General characteristics
Type: Submarine ,Displacement: 2,000 ,Length: 70m ,Beam: 6.3m
Installed power: 2x120kW PEM fuel cells , Propulsion: AIP
Crew: 28
Notes: Delivery expected in 2020

Thies Stüber, the project manager of the Type 218SG program at TKMS, told Defense News that the decision was a big sign of trust Singapore has in the Type 218SG design, calling it the “result of the excellent cooperation between TKMS, DSTA (Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency) and the Republic of Singapore Navy."

Stüber added that the first boat is currently being fitted out at the TKMS shipyard in Kiel, northern Germany. Based on the model of the Type 218SG on display at the TKMS stand at IMDEX, the Type 218SG will have an "X" rudder, which offers enhanced manoeuvrability in the confined littoral waters found around Singapore, similar to the Type 212 submarines operated by the German and Italian navies.

The model also shows that Type 218SG is fitted with eight forward-firing torpedo tubes for heavyweight torpedoes.

The submarines will also have air-independent propulsion in addition to the regular diesel-electric propulsion system, with the onboard combat system tailored to Singapore’s requirements being developed by Germany’s Atlas Elektronik in conjunction with Singapore’s ST Electronics.

The two new Type 218SGs are expected to replace Singapore’s existing two Archer-class boats, which are former Swedish Västergötland-class submarines refurbished and extensively modernized in the early part of this decade.

Singapore’s Type-218SG – Forerunner of a new Submarine Class?

By Tamir Eshel - Dec 5, 201313568

Type 216 'Concept Submarine' is likely to be the basis for Singapore's new Type 218SG class submarine. Photo: TKMS

Singapore is likely to expand the missions and operational capabilities of its submarine force in the next decade, fielding large ocean going submarines with mission endurance of weeks, even months in the next decade. Sofar the island state operated much smaller subs, designed for operations in shallow waters and littorals closer to home. The Defense ministry of Singapore announced this week it has ordered two new ‘Type 218SG’ submarines from the German-based ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).

The 218SG is a customized design from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. TKMS did not provide much detail about the specification of the ‘Type 218’ submarine, hitherto an unknown designation, although the company mentioned the submarines would be fitted out with ‘air independent propulsion’ (AIP) from the baseline (unlike the Archers, that had to be cut apart to ‘plug in’ the AIP). The new submarine will be customized to address specific requirements of the Singapore Navy. Among those systems will be a comprehensive combat system provided by Atlas Elektronik GmbH, to be co-developed and adapted to the customer requirements by Singapore based ST Electronics.

RSS Chiftain is one of four Swedish built submarines currently operated by the Singapore navy. Photo: BQ-T via Flickr.

German industry experts commenting about the deal said the project would cost about one billion Euros and is expected to take six years to complete. The first submarine will be delivered to the Singapore Navy in 2020.

Singapore is already operating two Archer Class submarines modified by the Swedish Kockums shipyard to meet the requirements of the Singapore Navy. Kockums, now a subsidiary of TKMS, built both Archer and Challenger, both designed for littoral, shallow sea operations.

The two Archer class submarines were bought from Swedish navy surplus in 2009. They were thoroughly modernized, fitted with Stirling Air Independent Propulsion engine and entered service with the Singapore navy this year. The diesel-electric powered Challenger Class vessels were built in 1967-8, and entered service with the Singapore Navy in 2001. With the introduction of new models they will be progressively retired from service. Singapore planned to buy four Archer Class submarines; it is yet unclear whether Singapore will exercise this option parallel to the acquisition of the new Type-218SGs.

What is Type 218SG?

At the recent IMDEX naval expo in Singapore TKMS submarine branch Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) displayed models of its newly released Type 216 ‘concept submarine’. It is likely that the Singaporean Type 218SG will be a derivative based on this new class. In the past HDW extended the capacity of former models – for example, the Type 209 grew over the years from the basic 1000 tons submerged displacement to 1500, 1700, 1900 and even 2,300 tons (submerged displacement of the Type 800 Dolphin class).

HDW Class 216 Submarine

Building upon a baseline platform of 4,000 ton displacement, HDW’s Type 216 is designed to be scaled up or down, thus better matching the requirements of navies seeking large, ocean going AIP-augmented diesel-electric powered submarines – as reflected in current Australian, Canadian and Indian acquisition programs.