ThyssenKrupp launches two new Type 218SG submarines for Singapore.

According to information published by ThyssenKrupp on December 13, 2022, two state-of-the-art submarines for the Republic of Singapore were launched in a festive ceremony at the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems shipyard in Kiel.
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Type 218SG (Invincible class) submarine. (Picture source: ThyssenKrupp)

Among the 350 guests invited to the event were German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister for Defence Dr. Ng Eng Hen and other high-ranking representatives of Germany and Singapore.

Lady Sponsor of both vessels was Ms. Ho Ching, wife of the Prime Minister. At the push of a button, she launched both boats simultaneously, giving them the sonorous names “Impeccable” and “Illustrious”.

The “Impeccable” and the “Illustrious” are the second and third boats in a series of four Type 218SG submarines ordered by the Republic of Singapore Navy.

They are among the most modern diesel-electric submarines in the world and feature numerous customized solutions and new technologies. They are designed with a low acoustic signature.

The external air-independent propulsion system allows the boats to remain under water for a longer duration. With a length of approximately 70 meters and a displacement of around 2,000 tons, they are currently the largest submarines ever built at Marine Systems. Once further intensive trials have been conducted, the “Impeccable” and the “Illustrious” will be handed over from 2023 onwards.

Type 218SG is an extensively-customized derivative of the export-oriented Type 214 submarine, with specific design characteristics drawn from Type 212 submarines.

The design of the Type 218SG was jointly created by Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).

Current details about the Type 218SG's armament are scant; however, it is understood that the submarine features eight 533-millimetre (21.0 in) and two 650-millimeter (26 in) forward-firing torpedo tubes - which may be used for firing heavyweight torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and for laying naval mines.

Following the double naming ceremony, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Singapore-based ST Engineering signed a teaming agreement. It formalizes and strengthens the long-term cooperation between the two companies.

The agreement covers both warranty services as well as in-service support for the four Invincible-class submarines, ensuring that they are well maintained in Singapore during their operational lifetimes.