Singapore defence minister proposes purchase of additional submarines

Singapore Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen recently proposed the acquisition of two additional Type 218SG or Invincible-class diesel-electric submarines for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).

Speaking to Parliament during a Committee of Supply debate, Dr Ng said that, although Singapore already has four submarines, the current number is "not an optimum for a fleet."

The defence minister cited factors such as regular maintenance cycles and stringent assessments, as the submarines would be operated near-continuously as a deterrent against external maritime threats. It is therefore inevitable that at least one boat will be taken out of service for maintenance at any given time, thus diminishing the RSN's deterrent capability.

Dr Ng commented that the two additional Invincible-class boats will provide the RSN submarine fleet with a "steady state."

The four-strong Invincible-class was built by German defence company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems for the RSN. These are variants of the Type 214 boats that were originally developed in Germany for the export market.

TKMS said the design of the Type 218SG boats is based on a low signature, while an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system gives the boats long underwater endurance.

Each Invincible-class boat has a length of 70 metres and a displacement of approximately 2,000 tonnes. Armament will include torpedoes, mines, and anti-ship missiles.

The future RSS Inimitable, the fourth submarine in the class, was christened at TKMS' facilities in 2024 and is scheduled to be delivered later this year.