First Greek Type 214 submarine finally enters service

[Luftwaffe]

First Greek Type 214 submarine finally enters service

The Hellenic Navy commissioned its first Type 214 submarine in a ceremony at shipbuilder Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft's (HDW's) yard in Kiel, Germany, on 2 November.

HS Papanikolis, which is expected to arrive in Greece in December, was at the centre of a long-running contractual dispute between HDW parent company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and the Greek government.

Athens claimed initially that the submarine, which was launched by HDW in April 2004, was not completely seaworthy and refused to accept the boat. Germany's Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement subsequently demonstrated that the vessel not only complied with stability requirements but significantly exceeded other performance parameters, whereupon Greece said that it would take the boat and sell it on to a third party.

However, as Jane's reported in late October, it has now been decided that the Hellenic Navy will operate Papanikolis as the lead vessel in a class that will eventually number six Type 214 hulls.

 

[amalakas]

First Greek Type 214 submarine finally enters service

The Hellenic Navy commissioned its first Type 214 submarine in a ceremony at shipbuilder Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft's (HDW's) yard in Kiel, Germany, on 2 November.

HS Papanikolis, which is expected to arrive in Greece in December, was at the centre of a long-running contractual dispute between HDW parent company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and the Greek government.

Athens claimed initially that the submarine, which was launched by HDW in April 2004, was not completely seaworthy and refused to accept the boat. Germany's Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement subsequently demonstrated that the vessel not only complied with stability requirements but significantly exceeded other performance parameters, whereupon Greece said that it would take the boat and sell it on to a third party.

However, as Jane's reported in late October, it has now been decided that the Hellenic Navy will operate Papanikolis as the lead vessel in a class that will eventually number six Type 214 hulls.

Yes, as I have mentioned before, the HN was not happy with the way corrections and repairs were made to the ship to make it seaworthy. Also it was rumored that the personel was not too keen to operate a boat that is "jinxed" with bad luck from launch day. Anyhow, the price paid for the ship was too high and the HN decided to operate the boat rather than use it as a training vessel (more likely) or sell it, (highly unlikely) ..