In submarine news essential reading Warships International Fleet Review's Chief Analyst, Usman Ansari, reports, July 2021, page 9.
Columbia plans to replace its 2 x Type 209s and 2 x 206As (Intrepido and Indomable) in 20 years time (by which time they will be 66 years old! no less) by which time they will reach their pressure hull immersion cycle safe maximums. All are allegedly well maintained. Both 209s and Intrepido were commissioned in 1975 and Indomable (into the West German Navy in 1974).
All those 2009s and 206As have played "enemy" in exercises aginst the USN's surface ASW and all nuclear sub force.
[Pete Comment: Their small size and economical running costs (compared to US SSNs) also means the Columbian SSKs do much anti Latin American drug smuggling surveillance in coordination with the USN and US Coast Guard surface fleet, satellites and aircraft.]
See my November 15, 2015 report on these Columbian subs.
I suspect the very old 209 KRI Nanggala's sinking (Nanggala was launched 1980 hence 5-7 years younger than the Columbian subs) has prompted other navies with old subs to do a public stocktake to justify old sub retention that sometimes is risky.
Pete
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