19 April 2009

Singapore Navy Launches Two More Submarines

28 Mei 1999
Sjoormen class submarine of the Royal Singapore Navy (photo : Mindef)
RSS CENTURION and RSS CONQUEROR, this morning, 28 May 99, at the Kockums Shipyard in Karlskrona, Sweden. Rear-Admiral (NS) Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, officiated at the ceremony with Mrs Teo Chee Hean launching the two submarines. These two submarines will undergo a refurbishment and tropicalisation programme in Sweden before their delivery to the RSN.
RSN submarine crews have been undergoing extensive training in Sweden. Good progress has been made. The crew of the first submarine successfully fired a torpedo against a "target ship" yesterday, 27 May 99. This firing was witnessed by Rear-Admiral (NS) Teo. The first submarine will be brought back to Singapore sometime next year.

Factsheet - Tropicalisation Programme
The Sjoormen Class submarines acquired by the RSN will have to undergo a tropicalisation programme due to the different operating conditions in the tropical waters off Singapore. Warm tropical waters are more conducive for the active growth of marine barnacles on metal surfaces. The high salinity of tropical waters also makes the pipes and valves of the submarine susceptible to corrosion. The tropicalisation programme aims to address these problems and increase crew comfort. It entails:

- Changing the steel pipes and valves that come into contact with sea water to copper nickel iron ones in order to reduce corrosion.
- Installing a marine growth protection system to minimise the growth of marine barnacles on the submarine surface.
- Installing two freon compressors to enhance the capacity to cool the interior of the submarine.

Sumber : Mindef

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