Thursday, December 5, 2013

Navy's New Toys

RSS Challenger
In 1995 the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) bought its first Challenger class submarine (RSS Challenger) from the Swedish Navy, which was quickly followed by another three (RSS Conqueror, Centurion and Chieftain) in 1997. As all the submarines were designed by the Swedish for operations in the Baltic Sea, extensive modifications were required make them serviceable for   tropical waters.
Challenger class specifications:
Length: 51 meters
Beam: 6.1 meters
Crew: 28
Max Speed: 16 knots
Displacement: 1,130 tonnes

RSS Archer
In 2005, two Archer class submarines were acquired. RSS Archer was launched in Sweden in 2009, RSS Swordsman 2010. RSS Archer was declared operational in 2011, RSS Swordsman was declared "battle-ready" on April 2013. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, officiating at latter's "coming out" ceremony,  said it marked the end of RSN's 8 year journey to replace some of the Challenger-class submarines.
Archer class specifications:
Length: 60.5 meters
Beam: 6.1 meters
Crew: 28
Max Speed: 15 knots
Displacement: 1,400 tonnes

With AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) and state-of-the-art sensors, the Archers are more capable than Indonesia's HDW 209s and Malaysia's non-AIP Scorpenes. They are also superior to Australia's non-AIP Collins SSKs. On March 2013, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen basically said the same thing about the ageing Challenger-class coming to the end of their operational lifespan and due for replacement by the two Archers.

Israeli Navy's ISN Dolphin
Then the 3 Dec 2013 press release from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems confirmed the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) purchase of two brand new HDW 218SGs from the German submarine maker, a contract estimated at 1 billion euros (S$1.7 billion). ST Electronics,  part of the ST Engineering group, will co-develop the Combat System with Atlas Elektronik GmbH, one of the companies under investigation for paying bribes totaling $24 million to Greek government officials to acquire U-boat contracts.

AIP Dolphin 2 class specifications:
Length: 68 meters
Beam: 7.0 meters
Crew: 35
Max Speed: 20 knots
Displacement: 2,300 tonnes

The 218SG will probably be a modified version of the Dolphin 2 Class submarines developed and constructed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW) for the Israeli Navy. Rumor has it that that Israel has tested a nuclear-capable version of its medium-range “Popeye Turbo” external link cruise missile design for deployability from the 650mm torpedo tubes in its Dolphin Class submarines. Is this how the little red dot intends to join the nuclear arms race?

12 comments:

  1. However superior the arsenal is,
    the people must be well fed and
    happy to defend the land.
    To defend the land, there must be
    Things worthy for them to protect.

    What will be these Things worthy
    for Singaporeans to protect with
    their live(life)?


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    Replies
    1. Being well fed and happy is not enough. Being treated fairly at work, in education opportunities and well compensated for forced conscription is another. However our men in green are severely shorted changed on this, with the boat loads of opportunistic foreign trash. All this fancy toys are nothing if the will to defend is not there.

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    2. As Mr Brown would say, we are fed, up with progress.

      Yes, we don't mind having foreign talents like Filipino and Indon maids and Bangladeshi and Thai construction workers, but we are against foreign workers taking away PMET jobs and senior management jobs.

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    3. Defend against what, where is the enemy? None of our expensive military hardware has ever fired a shot in anger, and are then retired. The only enemy to defend against is within, and you don't need these fancy toys for that.

      Delete
  2. Oh yes, they are rich. But they would rather prefer squeezing the citizens’ coffers to pay for it.
    Look at all those perks and salaries for their Gurkha contingent (some 2,000 of them) who are paid professional rates but on the other hand pay our NS men pittance allowance.
    It’s like using our NS men’s salaries to subsidise the Gurkhas’ pay.
    The Gurkhas bring in their families, relatives and other dependents in tow.
    Many are having their children born here in our maternity hospitals to enjoy our social amenities and infrastructures and staying long term with the hope of gaining citizenship.
    The Gurkhas are clamouring for more citizenship rights everywhere that they are stationed like in the UK and HKG.
    Not surprising, some with only daughters have obtained citizenship
    here already.
    To keep them in Singapore is not cheap.
    Their needs are very well taken care of by our govt. with competitive salaries, subsidised quarters, healthcare and even education for the children right up to tertiary level.
    Since our NS sons are paid pittance for their sweat and hard grit,
    shouldn’t we ask WP to raise in parliament on this wage disparity and ask for the disclosure of the Gurkhas perks and salaries ?
    As far as I see it, there is no value add in the services of the Gurkha.
    To say that they are a loyal and heroic lot is a myth.
    Most of them don’t look tough enough to earn this reputation.
    Our NS boys are any time better.
    I can also see many are boisterous, rowdy and rude without showing respects to local Singaporeans when they are on outings or shopping publicly with their families.
    If unchecked, overtime they soon may also cast a condescending view on the locals knowing that they themselves are preferred and better treated by our PAP government.
    Is there still a need today for their services ?
    Or is it that PAP does not trust its own people to maintain security ?
    Perhaps they still need them like kind of private army to protect themselves the elites !
    What do you think ?

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  3. How come our WP LTK / SL / CSM and others are so quiet on this type of spending.....

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  4. Why do Singaporeans always think or believe that enemy(enemies) must be outside our border. The More Dangerous Ones are from within. So, what use is there for the F35s ad submarines?

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    Replies
    1. The F35s and submarines are not meant to defend this island but merely to keep the enemy at bay long enough for Ah Loong, Tony, Choke Tong and familee to make their exit.
      Only the daft 60% S'poreans think otherwise.

      Delete
  5. Simple to explaiin...

    The purchase of these submarines and F35s and what not...are to secure favors monetary and other-wise for themselves...

    The question here is we know and you know...they using other peoples money to pay for these stuff...and best of all they using that same money to pay for their salaries too...

    Ironic...no....moronic for the people who provide the money to feed and clothed these clowns...and these clowns using other people money to "further" themselves beggar belief..

    One can take as much as one can from a complex system...once you have too many Ones doing it...the system will failed...and many will suffer...not these Ones...they will living the high life in another country..

    Are these Ones intelligent...no...cunning yes...wise also no...a civilisation fails or falls usually because too many of these Ones are allow to breed out of control...there are oast historical precedents of this.

    Anyway it doesn't matter...these Ones will also die together with us...it is gonna be a slow death...lucky we are dead first...these Ones...well...will suffer for some time..by the tim e they realize they contribute to what has HAPPENED...it is too late.

    Nuts.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just wonder whether any $2 company set up to legally pocket the commissions from such sales ?

      If IT/CD/bicycle procurement can have hanky panky business, these S$B dollar business nobody fight for it ? Politicians in Taiwan & Malaysia already say these commissions part & parcel of secret deals, so our Minsters with so much integrity can reveal to us who is tasked to receive all these commissions?

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  6. Glimpsing from the medias, it seems that there are many countries mired in internal strife than cross border wars.
    The struggles of the poor and weak against their powerful and corrupted rulers are happening World wide. They happen in Middle East(Springs), East Asia, S E Asia and even Europe and USA, recall Occupy Wall Street? Maybe, one day it will be Occupy Washington or another US President gets gun down.

    Is Sin immune from internal conflict? How sure can we be that we will be trouble free?

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  7. The current PAP is like a spoilt brat who has been given his/her Daddy's credit card to use.

    ReplyDelete