French defence shipbuilder the Naval Group has proposed one of its submarine designs for possible selection by the Hellenic Navy to replace its ageing Type 209 boats.
The submarines being proposed will be diesel-electric variants of the Suffren-class nuclear-powered boats built by the Naval Group for the French Navy.
The diesel-electric boats will be fitted with lithium-ion batteries, which the Naval Group said will enable them to operate underwater for several days at a time, even at high speeds.
Their armament will meanwhile include torpedoes, missiles, and mines, while modifications will permit the deployment of drones.
The builder added that the onboard living spaces will feature improvements on those seen so far on other conventional submarines, creating more favourable conditions especially for longer missions.
The newer submarines will be capable of worldwide deployment, as they will be built to navigate in waters with differing operational environments.
David Pinot, the Naval Group's Country Director for Greece, said that after careful study, it was determined that the diesel-electric Suffren variant would be better-suited for the Hellenic Navy's requirements compared to other designs such as the Scorpene-class, which is also built by the company.