SINGAPORE: The Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN) fleet of Invincible-class submarines is set to be augmented with two additional vessels projected for delivery from 2034.
Then-Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen previously announced in March that the Singapore Armed Forces planned to add two more Invincible-class submarines to its current fleet of four.
The new vessels will also be built by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.
They are part of the navy’s “approach to long-term capability development”, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said in a news release on Thursday (May 8).
“Customised by the Defence Science and Technology Agency for Singapore’s needs, the Invincible-class submarines are designed for operations in shallow and busy tropical waters, and to be leanly crewed by the RSN’s specialised submariners,” said MINDEF.
The ministry added that acquiring two additional Invincible-class submarines will further enhance the navy’s ability to protect Singapore’s sea lines of communication.
Singapore’s first two Invincible-class submarines, named Invincible and Impeccable, became fully operational following a commissioning ceremony in September last year.
The trials and acceptance for the third and fourth submarines – Illustrious and Inimitable – are “progressing well” in Germany, and they are expected to return to Singapore by 2028, MINDEF said.
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