Republic of Singapore Navy welcomes two new submarines into service

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) commissioned its two newest diesel-electric submarines into service in a ceremony at Singapore's Changi Naval Base on Tuesday, September 24.

RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable are the first two submarines in the four-strong Type 218SG or Invincible-class, which are being built by German defence company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) for the RSN.

Invincible and Impeccable are variants of the Type 214 submarines that Germany had originally developed for the export market. TKMS said the design of the Type 218SG boats is based on a low signature, while an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system gives the boats long underwater endurance.

Each Invincible-class boat has a length of 70 metres and a displacement of approximately 2,000 tonnes. Armament will include torpedoes, mines, and anti-ship missiles.

The future RSS Inimitable, the fourth submarine in the class, was christened at TKMS' facilities earlier this year and is scheduled to be delivered in 2025.