German naval shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has unveiled two Type 218SG diesel-electric attack submarines under construction for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).
The ceremony was held at the TKMS shipyard in Kiel, Germany, on 13 December 2022. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, and several senior representatives from Singapore and Germany attended the ceremony.
The two submarines are called Impeccable and Illustrious, the second and third ships of the Invincible class. Singapore ordered four submarines, divided into two contracts, two submarines each.The Invincible class is the largest submarine built by TKMS, with a length of about 70 metres and a displacement of around 2,000 tons. The development of the Invincible class is based on the enlarged Type 214 design with modifications to suit Singapore’s needs.The four new submarines will replace Singapore’s existing fleet, which consists of two Challenger-class (ex-Sjoormen-class) and two Archer-class (ex-Vastergotland-class) class submarines, both formerly of the Swedish Navy.Each submarine has eight 53 cm diameter torpedo tubes and two 65 cm tubes which can be used to fire heavyweight torpedoes. In addition to the launch, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems also signed a partnership agreement with Singaporean company ST Engineering.
