On 22 April the Inimitable, the fourth and final submarine in Singapore’s Type 218SG Invincible class program was launched at the Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) shipyard in Kiel.
The 250 invited guests included Boris Pistorius, Federal Minister of Defence, and Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security of the Republic of Singapore, as well as other high-ranking representatives from Singapore and Germany. The sponsor of the boat was Ms. Teo Swee Lian, sister of Teo Chee Hean.
The design of the Type 218SG submarines is based on a low signature. The air-independent propulsion system gives the boats a long underwater endurance. With a length of about 70 metres and a displacement of around 2,000 tonnes, they are the largest submarines ever built at Marine Systems. They have an endurance of up to 42 days and have a complement of 28.
Following the Invincible in 2019 and the double launching of the “Impeccable” and “Illustrious” in December 2022, the fourth boat has now been launched. The “Inimitable” will be handed over from 2025 after intensive testing. Oliver Burkhard, CEO of TKMS, emphasized: “The submarines built in this project are the most modern conventional submarines the world has ever seen. They belong to a new, state-of-the-art generation and are also the largest submarines built in Germany to date. It is the result of hard work, commitment and the collaboration of many talented people that has led us to this success.”
Following the naming ceremony, TKMS and ST Engineering signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly enhance the capabilities of Singapore’s submarines over their operational lifetimes. It expands on the earlier Teaming Agreement signed in December 2022 to cover collaboration on selected technologies and applications in the areas of additive manufacturing (3D printing), maintenance training, data analytics and obsolescence management.
Source: TKMS
