Thursday, September 26, 2024

Singapore commissions two new Invincible-class Type 218SG submarines

 

The RSS Impeccable. Photo c/o The Straits Times.


The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has brought the first two new Invincible-class deisel0-electric attack submarines into service.


The two submarines were named RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable, were commissioned to service with the RSN on 24 September 2024, with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wang, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, and Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen leading the ceremony held at the Changi Naval Base.


The two new submarines are considered the most modern and most capable in Southeast Asia, have a high level of automation, and are custom-designed to meet the RSN’s ergonmonics and mission requirements as well as operations in shallow and busy waters.


Both submarines were built by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in Kiel, Germany, and are based on the shipyard’s new Type 218SG design, which in turn were derived from the Type 214 and Type 212 diesel-electrric submarines in service with the German Navy and dozens of other countries.


The submarines are equipped with an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system which allows it to operate underwater longer than other conventional submarines, and is believed to be equipped with eight forward-firing 533mm and two 650mm torpedo tubes.


It also features a Combat Management System developed jointly by Germany’s Atlass Elektronic and Singapore’s ST Electronics, while its high automation allows the submarine to be crewed by one 28 sailors and officers, and space for a special forces detachment.


Two more Invincible-class submarines are in different levels of construction in Germany, with both the Illustrious and Inimitable already launched as of 2024.




[1] Channel News Asia

[2] Naval News

[3] The Straits Times


Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Australia’s first Arufara-class offshore patrol vessel begins sea trials

 

The NUSHIP Arufara (203) spotted during its sea trials. Photo c/o Trevor Powell through Naval News.


The first ship of the Arufara-class offshore patrol vessels being built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) began its Builder’s Sea Trials (BST) phase, after almost 2 years of delay due to design issues related to its structural fire protection.


The NUSHIP Arufara (203) was spotted at sea by local ship spotters, and was confirmed to have started the sea trials on 26 August 2024 off the coast of Adelaide in South Australia, before returning on 27 August 2024. It again left port on 29 August for another round of trials, according to a report by the Australian Defence Magazine.


The NUSHIP Arufara was launched on 16 December 2021 by its builder Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia. It was based on a design by German shipbuilder Lurssen based on the Darussalam-class patrol vessels built for the Royal Brunei Navy.


The Australian Ministry of Defence has maintained that NUSHIP Arufara will be commissioned with the Royal Australian Navy within 2024, as the decommissioning of its predecessor, the Armidale-class large patrol boats, proceeded despite the unavailability of the Arufara-class to replace them.


Analysts are doubtful though on the ability to meet Initial Operational Capability (IOC) status, as it was reported by the Australian National Audit Office that it will take at least 37 weeks before IOC status can be achieved. 


There has been no posted updates for the other ships of the class, including the second ship NUSHIP Eyre (204) which was originally scheduled to undergo its Builder’s Sea Trials by 2023.



[1] Australian Defence Magazine

[2] Naval News


Philippines offered 10 new KF-21 Block 1 Boramae, 12 FA-50 Block 20 Fighting Eagle fighters

 

The KF-21 Boramae (left) and FA-50 Fighting Eagle (right), both made by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Photo c/o ROKAF.


The Philippine Air Force (PAF) was said to have been offered new KF-21 Block 1 Boramae multirole fighters as well as new FA-50 Block 20 Fighting Eagle light combat aircraft to meet both its initial requirement for a new multirole fighter and a second squadron of light combat aircraft, respectively.


Philippine defense page MaxDefense Philippines, quoting an interview in South Korea of an official from  South Korean aircraft manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), said that KAI is very much interested in meeting both the Multirole Fighter and Light Combat Aircraft requirements of the PAF, which are among those planned for procurement under the “Re-Horizon 3” phase of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.


According to the report, 10 KF-21 Boramae fighters in Block 1 configuration were offered for an initial batch of Multirole Fighters, originally budgeted at PHP61.3 billion (US$1.1 billion) for 12 fighter aircraft.


The budget was said to be originally based on Swedish defense company Saab’s original offer to sell between 12 to 14 new-build, older generation JAS-39C/D Gripen, which Saab already partially built as part of a Swedish Government initiative to bridge the production gap until the new generation JAS-39E/F Gripen variant is ready for serial production.


Previous statements from the PAF and the Philippines’ Department of National Defense (DND) pointed out to Saab’s Gripen and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Block 70/72 Viper as among those shortlisted, although there are reports that KAI’s KF-21 Boramae, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Consortium’s EF-2000 Typhoon, as well as Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.’s Tejas Mk. 1A are being re-looked as part of a bigger effort to procure 40 new multirole fighters.


A second squadron of FA-50 Fighting Eagle LCAs in Block 20 configuration was also offered to meet a separate requirement, although KAI is said to be marketing this as a cheaper alternative to give the PAF a much needed boost while efforts to address funding and selection issues of the Multirole Fighter program are underway.


Aside from procurement of new FA-50s, KAI also offered to upgrade all 12 of the PAF’s existing fleet of older variant FA-50PH aircraft to a certain degree. MaxDefense Philippines reported that due to funding issues, a Block 20 upgrade is not being pursued although the PAF wanted integration of a new 300-gallon external fuel tank, the Sniper advanced targeting pod, as well as the latest variant of the US-made Data Link 16.


KAI has not yet released more information to confirm these reports, although another KAI official was interviewed in the Philippines by news blogger 101 Talk Radio that Block 2 was offered and not Block 1. Should this be the case, it is expected that KAI can only deliver the KF-21 Boramae beyond 2028 and not meet the requirements of the PAF.




[1] MaxDefense Philippines

[2] Mason_8718 @ Twitter (X)

[3] 101 Talk Radio