Italy receives fourth Type 212A submarine and seeks additional boats

[Zarvan]

Romeo Romei, the Italian Navy's fourth Type 212A diesel-electric submarine, was handed over to the Italian Navy at Fincantieri's Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard on 11 May. Source: Fincantieri

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri handed over the last of four Type 212A-class diesel-electric submarines on order for the Italian Navy at its Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard on 11 May.

Romeo Romei (S 529) follows third boat Pietro Venuti (S 528), which was delivered in July 2016. Boats three and four are upgraded versions of the first two submarines, Salvatore Todaro (S-526) and Scirè (S-527), which were delivered in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

The most significant enhancements over the earlier batch are Atlas Elektronik's electro-acoustic suite update to the fully digitalised CSU 90-138 sonar system, Cassidian's OMS100 search periscope (replacing the in-service conventional systems), Hensoldt's SERO 400 (attack) periscopes, Kongsberg's MSI-90U Mk 2 weapon-control system and the WASS Black Shark Advanced (NSP/BSA) heavyweight torpedo.

The navigation system has also been improved, with the installation of ECDIS digital cartography, while the communications suite has been augmented with the addition of an SHF-band SATCOM-dedicated mast and Link 16 Joint Range Extension Applications Protocol-C (JREAP-C) capabilities. The sensor suite includes Indra's MRBR 800 electronic support measures system.

The Italian Navy also has four Improved Sauro-class submarines in its inventory, but these will be retired in the 2018-22 period, leaving the service with just the four Type 212As.

Romeo Romei, the Italian Navy's fourth Type 212A diesel-electric submarine. (Fincantieri)

With Italy looking to procure additional submarines, on 10 March the Italian and German ministries of defence (MoDs) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to continue the collaborative partnership already established with the 212A programme. The MOU extends the existing co-operation on submarine design, building, and in-service support to include research and development and is open to the participation of other European nations.

"The longstanding partnership between Italy and Germany in the field of constructing conventional submarines has proved an example of a sustainable and successful co-operation in Europe," said Rear Admiral Ruggiero Di Biase, the Italian MoD's National Armaments Directorate programme co-ordinator, who signed the agreement on behalf of Italy.

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http://www.janes.com/article/70371/...ype-212a-submarine-and-seeks-additional-boats

 

[jaatki]

Beautiful submarine

 

[Penguin]

Thread title should be corrected: Italy navy receives fourth Type 212A built in Italy and seeks additional boats.

The German Type 212A submarine, aka Italian Todaro class, is a highly advanced design of non-nuclear submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW) for BOTH the German and Italian navies.

The final programme started in 1994 as the two navies of Germany and Italy began working together to design a new conventional submarine, respectively to operate in the shallow and confined waters of the Baltic Sea and in the deeper waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The two different requirements were mixed into a common one and, because of significant updates to the design, the designation has been changed to Type 212A since then.

On 22 April 1996 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) gave the start to the cooperation for building four vessels for German Navy and four vessels for Italian Navy. Its main aim was the construction of identical boats and the start of a collaboration in logistic and life-cycle support for the two navies.

Italian Navy, as said December 22, 2015 by Admiral de Giorgi, Navy Commander in Chief, planned to build another batch (the third) of two U212A.

 

[imadul]

Ah, once there existed a u-214 in dreams

 

[Penguin]

Ah, once there existed a u-214 in dreams

The export-oriented Type 214 submarine succeeds the Type 209 submarine and shares certain features with the Type 212A, such as the AIP fuel cell propulsion. The Type 214 submarine is an export oriented product that lacks some of the classified technologies of its smaller 212A predecessor, the most important of which is probably the non-magnetic steel hull. It's a different sub altogether from 212A, see e.g. location of diving planes, shape of the tail fins (X versus +). 214 is what Portugal, Greece, Turkey and South Korea are getting.

 

[imadul]

The export-oriented Type 214 submarine succeeds the Type 209 submarine and shares certain features with the Type 212A, such as the AIP fuel cell propulsion. The Type 214 submarine is an export oriented product that lacks some of the classified technologies of its smaller 212A predecessor, the most important of which is probably the non-magnetic steel hull. It's a different sub altogether from 212A, see e.g. location of diving planes, shape of the tail fins (X versus +). 214 is what Portugal, Greece, Turkey and South Korea are getting.

Indeed!
What i meant, PN was considering three U-214 boats 8-10 years back, and then suddenly PN started looking chinese subs. S20/Type 039/Type 041?

 

[Penguin]

Indeed!
What i meant, PN was considering three U-214 boats 8-10 years back, and then suddenly PN started looking chinese subs. S20/Type 039/Type 041?

Well, not surprising if Germany isnt willing to sell

 

[C130]

The export-oriented Type 214 submarine succeeds the Type 209 submarine and shares certain features with the Type 212A, such as the AIP fuel cell propulsion. The Type 214 submarine is an export oriented product that lacks some of the classified technologies of its smaller 212A predecessor, the most important of which is probably the non-magnetic steel hull. It's a different sub altogether from 212A, see e.g. location of diving planes, shape of the tail fins (X versus +). 214 is what Portugal, Greece, Turkey and South Korea are getting.

how well does the Type 212/214 stack up against the Japanese Soryu Class?

 

[That Guy]

I believe that this was the same type that PN was interested in, but couldn't go through with, due to lack of funds.

I don't really have much to add, I just find it curious.

 

[imadul]

Well, not surprising if Germany isnt willing to sell

Financing, more like it.

 

[Penguin]

how well does the Type 212/214 stack up against the Japanese Soryu Class?

Soryu has Sterling engine based AIP whereas the German boats feature polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cells. It is more than twice the submerged displacement of the German subs, about the same size as Russian Kilo. Only 212A uses amagnetic steel. Not a lot of difference afa speed is concerned. Soryu has better (submerged + surfaced) range than both German boats and therefor probably better endurance. 209 test depth is 500 metres. Both newer German boats have similar test depth (250m), 212A has crush depth 700m. No data on Soryu (or predecessors) in this respect.

209 Speed: 11.5 knots (21 km/h), surfaced / 22.5 knots (42 km/h), submerged
212A Speed: 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced / 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) submerged
214 Speed: 12 kt surfaced, 20 kt submerged
Soryu Speed: 13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced / 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) submerged

209 Range: 20,000 km at 20 km/h (11000 Nautical miles) at 10 knots, surfaced; 15,000 km (8,000 nmi) at 10 knots, snorkeling; 740 km (400 nmi) at 4 knots, submerged
212A Range: 15,000 km (8,000 nautical miles ; 9,200 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
214 Range: 19,300 km (12,000 miles) (surfaced), 1,248 nmi (2,311 km) @4 kt (submerged), 420 nmi (780 km) @ 8 kt (submerged),
Soryu Range: AIP endurance (est.): 11297.2 km (7060.75 miles; 6100 nautical miles) at 6.5 knots (12 km/h; 7.48 mp/h)

209 Endurance: 50 days
212A Endurance: 3 weeks without snorkeling (21 days), 12 weeks overal (84 days)
214 Endurance: 84 days
Soryu: ?

Compare to against Kilo class (Soryu size) and Walrus class and/or Collins class(in between German and Japanese boats). Kilo and Walrus are without AIP, Collins has Sterling AIP like Soryu. The German subs are comparable to e.g. Swedish Sodermanland/Gotland class, on which Collins is based.

Financing, more like it.

In November 2008, Pakistan agreed to purchase three type 214 submarines.
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/type_212/

The Pakistan Navy negotiated for the purchase of three Type 214 submarines to be built in Pakistan in 2008. During the IDEAS 2008 exhibition, the HDW chief Walter Freitag told “The commercial contract has been finalised up to 95 per cent,” he said. The first submarine would be delivered to the Pakistan Navy in 64 months after signing of the contract while the rest would be completed successively in 12 months. After wavering for over two years Pakistan dropped the deal in favor of a new negotiation with China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. Ltd. for a set of submarines that have yet to be designed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_214_submarine

India protests (German) submarine sale to Pakistan - Free Republic (29 dec. 2008)
India has told Germany to call off the sale of 214 submarines ... German parliament backs submarine sale to Pakistan .... Engineers have managed to reduce the Type 212A's signature by using the latest technology available.
www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2156190/posts

Sounds like Pakistan decided that its money was better spent elsewhere. Possibly because of trade off between quantity and quality, or because of ToT possibilities, or because of related ambitions and possibilities for developing an SS(G)N. Doubt that German parliament would back the last route.