Type 209 Class German Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine
Type 209
Diesel-Electric Submarine
Other
Basic Information
Name
Type 209 Class German Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine
Designation
Type 209
Alternate Designation
Type 209
Equipment Type
Diesel-Electric Submarine
Manufacturer
—
Date of Introduction
1971
Description
The Type 209 is a class of diesel-electric attack submarine developed exclusively for export by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft of Germany. The original variant (Type 209/1100) was designed in the late 1960s. Despite not being operated by the German Navy, five variants of the class (209/1100, 209/1200, 209/1300, 209/1400 and 209/1500) have been successfully exported to 13 countries, with 61 submarines being built and commissioned between 1971 and 2008. The submarine was designed by Ingenieur Kontor Lübeck (IKL) headed by Ulrich Gabler and is largely based on previous German submarine designs (in particular the Type 206) with increased equipment. The design is single hulled and allows the commanding officer to see the entire submarine from the bow to stern while standing at the periscope. Four 120-cell batteries are located forward and aft of the command center in the lower deck and make up about 25% of the boat's displacement. Two main ballast tanks with forward and aft trim tanks allow the boat to dive. They are powered by four MTU diesels and four AEG generators. The AEG electric motor is attached directly to a five- or seven-bladed propeller.
Naval & Littoral Specifications
Crew
36
Beam
6.50 m
Draft
6.20 m
Variants
Note #1
Five variants of this submarine have been produced: Type 209/1100, Type 209/1200, Type 209/1300, Type 209/1400 and Type 209/1500. The U-209PN ordered by the Portuguese Navy is actually a Type 214. The first three Dolphin class submarines built for the Israeli Navy are based on the Type 209 although heavily modified and enlarged.
Several modifications have occurred in the class resulting in these variants including the fitting of newer diesel engines. New air conditioning and electronics features have been added to accommodate orders from South America. The displacement in some variants has increased by nearly 50% in order to install new equipment, modernize accommodations, and extend range.
The team of Ingenieur Kontor Lübeck (IKL) and Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) proposed an enlarged Type 209 submarine, the Type 2000, for the Collins class submarine program. The proposed design was roughly 500 tons more than the Type 209/1500s for India and lost to the Type 471 from Kockums, an enlarged Västergötland class submarine.
The Thomson class built for the Chilean Navy has escape hatches fitted in the torpedo and engine room. An additional aft hatch is fitted in the sail with access to the machinery. The boats are fitted with higher masts to compensate for regional ocean wave conditions.
The Tikuna class built by the Brazilian navy is a modified Type 209/1400. The boat is 0.85 m longer and fitted with higher power diesels, different electric motors, batteries, electronics and sensors.
The Shishumar class built for and by India is unique for having an IKL-designed integrated escape sphere. The sphere has accommodations for the entire crew with an eight-hour air supply.
The Sabalo class built for Venezuela was slightly lengthened during a modernization at HDW in the early 1990s. The increased length is due to the addition of a new sonar dome that is similar to the model found on the German Type 206.
Between 2004 and 2006, the Indonesian Type 209/1300 submarine Cakra underwent a refurbishment by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea. The refurbished submarine featured new batteries, overhauled engines, and modernized combat system. Both submarines' existing STN Atlas-Elektronik CSU 3-2 sonar suite were replaced with L-3 ELAC Nautik's LOPAS 8300 passive sonar system and Kongsberg MSI-90U MK2 CMS. In 2009, Daewoo won another order to refurbish Nanggala, which was completed in early 2012.
It is also possible to upgrade these submarines with the latest Air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems. The first ships to receive this upgrade were to be three ships of the Greek Poseidon class Type 209/1200 under the Neptune II upgrade program. They were to be upgraded by cutting the boat in half aft of the control room and adding a 6 m plug with a 120 kW Siemens AIP system to the ship. The program was canceled in 2009 due to cancellation of the Archimedes Project (Type 214), but not before Okeanos (S118) completed the upgrade. After the Archimedes Project settlement was reached, it was decided that instead of upgrading the remaining two Type 209s, two additional Type 214 ships were to be ordered, but that deal was cancelled by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft. Turkish Navy's AIP upgrade of Atılay-class (209 Type 1200) was also shelved in favor of acquiring new Type 214 subs.
Note #2
Total Built: 61
System
Alternative Designation
Type 209
Type
Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine
Builder
Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft
Nordseewerke
Crew
36
Dimensions
Length
64.4 m
Beam
6.5 m
Draft
6.2 m
Displacement, Standard
1,810 tons (submerged)
Propulsion System
Engine Name
INA
Engine Type
4 x Diesel-Electric
Engine Power
4,500 kW (6,100 shp)
Maximum Speed, Submerged
21 km/h (11.5 knots)
Maximum Speed, Submerged
42 km/h (22.5 kn)
Maximum Range, Surfaced
20,000 km (11,000 nautical miles) at 19 km/h (10 kn)
Maximum Range, Snorkeling
15,000 km (8,000 nmi) at 19 km/h (10 kn) snorkeling
Maximum Range, Submerged
740 km (400 nmi) at 7 km/h (4 kn) submerged
Endurance
50 Days
Armament
Note
8 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes,
14 torpedoes; optional UGM-84 Harpoon integration
Torpedo Types
The class can be armed with a variety of torpedo models depending upon the country. The majority of boats carry SUT - Surface and Underwater Target (Greece, India, Indonesia, South Africa, South Korea) or the SST - Special Surface Target (Argentina, Peru, Turkey's 209/1200s, Venezuela) torpedoes. The boats can also carry the Mark 24 Tigerfish (Brazil, Turkey's Preveze class 209/1400), DM2A3 (Colombia), Blackshark (Chile), A184 mod. 3 (Ecuador), DM2A4 (Turkey's Gür class 209/1400) and Mark 37 (Argentina).
Protection
Active Protection System
INA
Countermeasures
INA
NBC Water Washdown System
Yes
Details
Country of Origin
Germany
Category
Submarines
Naval > Submarines
Filter Label
T
Classification
Domain
Naval & Littoral
Equipment Status
Active
Dimensions
Length
64.4 m
Width
—
Height
—
Weight
—
Operators (1)
Argentina
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