ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, a company of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions, has received a contract from Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) to develop and deliver two HDW Class 218SG submarines to Singapore.

Under the contract, ThyssenKrupp will provide a logistics package and a crew training arrangement in Germany, while the two submarines are scheduled to be delivered at the start of 2020.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) will acquire the new submarines and together with the Archer-class submarines, will replace the ageing Challenger-class submarines.

The Archer-class submarines, an upgrade version of Västergötland-class diesel-electric submarines, which were originally developed for the Swedish Navy, serve the 171 Squadron of the RSN while complementing the RSN’s naval ships, helicopters and other submarines protecting the waters of Singapore.

ThyssenKrupp business area industrial solutions management board chairman, Dr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien, said: "The contract does not only safeguard jobs at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, but also several hundred jobs at subcontractors."

"The contract does not only safeguard jobs at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, but also several hundred jobs at subcontractors."

Equipped with air independent propulsion systems, the replacement submarines will have significantly improved capabilities.

ST Electronics, a part of the ST Engineering group and Atlas Elektronik will co-develop tailor-made combat system for the submarines.

Capable of accommodating a crew of 28, the 51m-long Challenger-class submarines have a surfaced and submerged displacement capacity of 1130t and 1200t respectively.

The submarines will be manufactured at the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems’s Kiel premises.

Defence Technology