Defense Technology International - July 2007 - (Page 24)

DISPATCHES GLOBAL UNDERSEA OVERSIGHT New U-boat expands German navy’s mission readiness NICHOLAS FIORENZA•ECKERNFORDE, GERMANY A new generation of submarines is reshaping the capabilities of Germany’s “silent service.” The U212A is a diesel-electric air-independent boat that gives the navy increased ﬂexibility in areas experts say will dominate naval strategy for the foreseeable future: littoral operations, intelligence gathering, reconnaissance and deploying and retrieving special forces. boat’s design are key reasons for its enhanced capabilities. The vessel utilizes air-independent propulsion (AIP), a self-contained drive system that does not rely on outside oxygen for operation (DTI May, p. 24). As a result, Type 212s can stay submerged for weeks rather than days as with conventional diesel subs. One Type 212 boat with AIP cruised submerged for two weeks last year from GERMAN NAVY U31, the ﬁrst of six Type 212 submarines for the German navy, enters choppy Baltic waters. The Type 212 submarine is an example of how navies are ﬁne-tuning technologies to meet a new set of needs ranging from asymmetric warfare to enforcing embargos, patrolling sea lanes and detecting proscribed activities. With the U212A, the German navy can guard its own coastline as well as take part in joint missions with allies in trouble spots around the world. The U212A is, of course, capable of deepwater operations and maritime interdiction—it is equipped with longer-range torpedoes (wire-guided DM2A4) and more powerful sonar than its predecessor U206A submarine. But unlike the U206A, the Type 212 does not have mine-laying equipment, an operation that strategists deem unnecessary in light of current security needs and countermeasures capabilities. The powerplant of the U212A and the 24 its home base in Eckernforde, in northern Germany, to Rota in southwestern Spain, reportedly the longest underwater journey by a non-nuclear sub. The AIP, which in the U212A comprises hydrogen fuel cells, is quiet and doesn’t emit exhaust gases into the sea, thus improving stealth characteristics. Though the U212A is larger than the U206A, its sail and hull have been designed for a lower radar cross-section, making it harder to detect when it operates on the surface. The vessel can operate in as little as 20 meters (65 ft.) of water, a plus for commando operations in terms of its ability to get close to shore. Germany has commissioned four Type 212 submarines since October 2005, the most recent, the U34, in May. Two more are in the pipeline. While the navy had 18 U206A boats at the end of the Cold War, only eight remain, all of which will be decommissioned by 2012. The Type 212 s are built by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems at the HDW (Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft) shipyard in Kiel, Germany. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems also manufactures AIP systems (as does DCNS of France). All German submarines are now under the command of 1st Flotilla in Kiel, which includes the navy’s mine-countermeasure and fast patrol boats. Current deployments emphasize the value of the submarine in asymmetric conﬂicts. Cdr. Volker Brasen, commanding ofﬁcer of the navy’s Submarine Training Center in Eckernforde, says German subs are contributing intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction capabilities to Operation Active Endeavor, NATO’s counter-terrorism mission in the Mediterranean. German submarines also patrol off the Horn of Africa in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq. No submarines are in use by the maritime mission that supports the United Nations Force in Lebanon. Brasen says, however, that one of three intelligence-gathering ships in 1st Submarine Sqdn. is involved, as are fast patrol boats from 1st Flotilla. The Submarine Training Center offers classroom lectures and computer-based training. Systems include submarine-command team trainers (SCTT) developed by Rheinmetall Defense Electronics with components from U206As and U212As. U212A crews have been training on the SCTT since 2002, a year before the ﬁrst Type 212 boat was delivered. Brasen says data from Operation Active Endeavor is part of the training scenarios. I COMPARATIVE NUMBERS U212A Length: 56 meters (183.7 ft.) Beam: 6.8 meters (22.3 ft.) Displacement: 1,450 tons on surface 1,830 tons submerged Speed: 12 kt. on surface 20 kt. submerged Crew: 27 U206A Length: 48.6 meters (159.4 ft.) Beam: 4.6 meters (15 ft.) Displacement: 450 tons on surface 498 tons submerged Speed: 10 kt. on surface 17 kt. submerged Crew: 26 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL JULY/AUGUST 2007 www.aviationweek.com/dti http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aw/dti0507/index.php?startpage=26 http://www.aviationweek.com/dti

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Defense Technology International - July 2007

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