The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has received its first of four new submarines from Germany.

The German-built Invincible-class or Type 218SG submarine is designed for operations in Singapore's shallow and busy tropical water.

It will undergo a series of sea trials before it is delivered to Singapore in 2021.

This marks Singapor's ownership of its first fully customised submarine.

First of four

Invincible is the first of four Type 218SG submarines to be built for Singapore.

The remaining three submarines -- Impeccable, Illustrious and Inimitable -- are still under construction.

Once ready, they will replace the Navy's current submarines which have been in operation for over 20 years.

The RSN currently operates four refurbished submarines -- two Challenger-class and two Archer-class -- acquired from Sweden.

More lethal

The Invincible-class submarines will be more lethal.

They can stay submerged about 50 percent longer, and carry a wider range of mission payloads.

The new submarines will be manned by a crew of 28, the same as with the Navy's existing submarines.

But the advanced automation and sense-making systems on board will allow the new boats to be run on three instead of two watches or shifts -- which gives a higher human endurance, according to Colonel (COL) Teo Chin Leong, 46, Commanding Officer of 171 Squadron, the submarine unit of the Navy.

The advanced systems also help submariners to act faster -- especially in the region's shallow and busy waters.

For example, the calculation of data is now done by computers, so the crew can concentrate on checking and making sense of the answers.

They include data analytics and decision support engines developed by the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).

Designed for Asians

The new submarines are ergonomically designed for Asian bodies. For example, RSN crew can easily reach all the valves and buttons inside the submarine.

The new submarines will come with slightly larger living quarters, and more showering and toilet cubicles. They also come with more storage spaces for food ingredients. This will allow the chef to come up with more food options.

To streamline workflow and communications, the submarine is designed such that the watchkeepers (for engineering, combat functions and weapons) can be co-located in one place.

In the Navy's current submarines, watchkeepers are deployed at three different locations.

The crew will start operational training on board the submarine, after the sea trials, before bringing it to Singapore.

At the same time, training simulators tailored for Type 218SG submarine operations will be built to support training.

Crew selected

The pioneer crew of 28 for Invincible has been selected, comprising a good mix of senior and junior submariners.

They have already been flying in and out of Germany for training sessions on operating various submarine systems, while Invincible was being constructed.

They will subsequently be based in Germany for up to two years for intensive training.

Ivy Ng, wife of Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, launched the submarine Invincible at the thyssenKrupp Marine Systems shipyard in Kiel, Germany, on Feb. 18, 2019.

H/T Pioneer