Archer Class Submarine relaunched (with air independent propusion (AIP) now fitted) in June 2009.
-This website's survey of regional submarines forces, which has taken readers to Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Pakistan and periodically India and Australia, now moves on to Singapore.
Singapore has been a shrewd buyer of used Kockums built submarines and then had them upgraded. It is unlikely the Singapore will buy Kockums submarines again given Kockums is now owned by a competing submarine builder - the German HDW company.
Its possible that Singapore may soon take the opportunity of purchasing 2 new AIP equipped HDW 214 submarines on favourable terms. This has come to pass due to the possibility of 4 extra HDW 214s being placed on the world market due to payment disputes between the Greece and HDW's parent company TKMS.
Along with Australia Singapore is one of America's closest allies in the Southeast Asian/Oceania region. Singapore is also on good terms with India while a little wary of its larger neighbours Indonesia, Malaysia and further afield China.
Singapore's earlier submarine purchases
In 1995, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) acquired a Challenger class (formerly known as Sjöormen class built by Kockums) submarine from the Swedish Navy and another three in 1997, making them Singapore's first underwater platforms. As the submarines were designed by the Swedish for operations in the cold Baltic Sea, various modifications were required to suit them to tropical waters. A comprehensive tropicalisation programme was carried out for all four submarines, which involves installing air conditioning, marine growth protection systems and corrosion-resistant piping.
It is believed that the Challenger class were purchased to develop the required submarine operations expertise before selecting a modern class of submarines to replace them, since all the boats were launched in the late 1960s. The four Challenger class submarines form the 171 Squadron of the RSN.
Singapore's Ministry of Defence maintained its relationship with Kockums and in November 2005 signed an agreement with Kockums for the supply of two Archer class (known in Sweden as Västergötland class) submarines to the RSN. Originally launched in the mid 1980s and previously in reserve with the Swedish Navy, the submarines will be transferred to the RSN on completion of the modernisation and conversion for operation in tropical waters.
RSS Archer (photo above) was relaunched on 16 June 2009. The Archer class submarines are equipped with an AIP system, enabling longer submerged endurance and lower noise signature. The advanced sonar system allows the submarines to detect contacts at a further distance, while the torpedo system has a better target acquisition capability, which allows the submarines to engage contacts at a further range. The Archer class submarines are expected to enter service from 2010 and may replace some of the Challenger class submarines.
Singapore's Archers are a little larger (1,500 tons submerged) than the Challengers, to accommodate the AIP system. With the AIP and the state-of-the-art sensors, the Archers boats are more capable than Indonesia's HDW 209s and probably more so than Malaysia's new but non AIP Scorpene's.
Singapore's submarines probably operate close to home (in and close to the Straits of Malacca) and probably work in close cooperation with America's SSNs and other anti-submarine assets. I assume that little has been written in decades about submarine tactics especially cooperative tactics between submarines of close nations (say the US, Singapore and Australia). The bland image that submarines work alone without help from foreign friendly boats begs questions.
The blog Defense Studies has much detail on the Archers.
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Pete
8 comments:
I always wondered why Singapore is wary of China? Considering it's population is 60 - 70% ethnic Chinese.
Its complicated Ram
Probably a bit like Australia's relations with China - wary but not hostile.
Singapore's mainly Chinese ethnicity can spin it in several directions including good relations with Taiwan.
Singapore establishing formal diplomatic relations with the PRC at the late year of 1992 indicates hesitancy.
Singapore has strong relations with the US. Singapore has been involved in naval exercises with the 4 countries of the on/off again quadilateral "understanding" for the containment of China.
In fact just about every country in the Asia-Pacific (India included) have varying degrees of wariness about China, the next superpower.
Regards
Pete
Pete,
I wonder if there is a consolidation in defense contractors globally. There used to be several aircraft companies in the U.S. Now there are three Lockheed Martin, Northrop, and Boeing. Some day, there may be two if Lockmart or Boeing buys Northrop. With the acquisition of Kockrums, are countries now limited in submarine suppliers, and is this a strategic problem. For instance, if I am Singapore, and I buy HDW submarines, will there be a parts shortage if Russia is pressured by China to pressure Germany by threat of cutting off natural gas supplies, or some other commodity Germany needs and imports? Russia is vulnerable right now since they depend upon oil and gas exports for the nation's income. China has the demand and the cash to buy oil. If the world, and especially the Pacific Basin, are one big Go game, then economics, armed forces, natural resources, and people are all pieces in this game. Consolidating global arms suppliers is may be a smart business move now, but risky down the road since Germany has never been known to be a neutral or independent actor, unlike Sweden.
John
ISRO has been bashed in the Indian press following the loss of communication with the Chandrayaan probe.
Lots of criticism and second guessing by reporters turned 'expert'.
Looks like ISRO has had the last laugh....
India’s lunar mission finds evidence of water on the Moon
Hi JB
The number of submarine suppliers is so few that the market downstream may well become distorted.
The economic crisis has probably accelerated the consolidation of the submarine market. Submarines are so expensive due to stealthiness and high tech electronics that some countries can no longer afford them.
In the US only one submarine type is made, the Virginia SSN - only one a year with production shared by just two companies:
- General Dynamics subsidiary Electric Boat in Groton, Conn., and
- Northrop Grumman's Newport News shipyard.
The US makes no conventional subs and Sweden's Kockums may be defunct.
So the main competition is:
- France and Spain building Scorpenes and
- Germany HDW subs.
Spain, Japan and Australia also built/are building subs but due to US electronics input carry licensing which prevent their export. Russia's Kilo's appear obsolete and an uncompetitive prospect for developed Western nations.
Pete
Hi Anonymous
Thanks for the two comments on the Indian moon probe. I'll do a post on them tomorrow.
Pete
Kockums is no-where near defunct, tho they continue to be very reliant on orders from the Swedish goverment.
Just this last week they got strong indications that their latest class, the A26 (no "real" name yet) would be built. Probably in co-operation with Norway, but a lot of people seem to be expecting Singapore to be interested as well.
The fact that Kockums is "owned" by a german company shouldn't concern too much. All the intellectual property is still very much Swedish.
Kockums still might be operating as usual Upandaway.
My anaylsis is a little bit distorted by my expectation of HDW's and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems' (TKMS) market behaviour. Still, when I looked on TKMS' website ( http://www.thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com/ ) the link for Kockums ( http://www.kockums.se/ )was not functioning. Though the link was working 6 months ago. Contrary signals I think.
Pete
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