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TKMS formally hands over first 2 Type 209 submarines to Egypt
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has formally handed over the first two of four Type 209/1400 mod diesel-electric submarines (SSK) to the Egyptian Navy.
TKMS’ CEO Dr. Peter Feldhaus commemorated the event (via Defense Aerospace):
“We are proud to have reached this significant milestone in the construction program for the Egyptian Navy. This success was possible only thanks to constant further development of our products, an open and trusting dialogue with our customer as well as our highly motivated and skilled employees.”
Leading Egyptian Navy officials, among them the Commander in Chief of the Navy Vice Admiral Osama Mounir Rabei, were present at the hand over ceremony.
German officials were also present, including Markus Grübel (Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defense) and Vice Admiral Rainer Brinkmann (Deputy Chief of Staff of the German Navy), among others.
Notes & Comments:
Egypt was to believed to have ordered the submarines in 2012, when the Egyptian Naval Chief at the time, Admiral Osama Ahmed el-Gundi, made note of the acquisition as part of Cairo’s plan to comprehensively upgrade its naval forces. The first Egyptian Type 209/1400 was launched for sea-trials in December 2015.
The Type 209/1400 is equipped with eight 533 mm torpedo tubes, which, in turn, can deploy heavyweight anti-submarine warfare (ASW) torpedoes and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM).
It is not known if Egypt has opted for air-independent propulsion (AIP) or if it will procure AIP in the future. Assuming these submarines are without AIP, then one can expect Egypt to utilize its new submarines for primarily anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) operations in or near its littoral waters.
10 Comments
by GhalibKabir
this reminds me of the bungle in India as the Type 209 ToT was totally wasted in the late 1980s… now Indian Navy needs a good 30-40 new SSKs and 10 SSN+SSBNs to counter the PLAN. The Indian MoD bureaucrat, ever changing design needs by IN and inability to decide on parallel production through Make in India and off the shelf buy has left the Navy in the doldrums. India should have ordered off the shelf Type 214s or additional AIP Scorpenes like, yesterday….
by Steve
Why do you have to counter PLAN? They are geographically far away, and a much larger economy. It will be hugely expensive and delay Indian infrastructure development for 50 years. Good ploy to extract technology from the West though. Commendations on that.
by GhalibKabir
Indian defense budget is 1/5th of China and less than 2% of GDP. China has begun to aggressively patrol waters around India in the EEZ included, This is again excessive and is amongst a line of humiliations China insists on doing to India. It is but natural India will invest in SOSUS, AIP SSKs, SSNs to counter this. Things will only get worse for India even if it tries to accommodate China and we have eaten crow many times already. So realpolitik wise India needs to do the minimum.
Again, No body gave India a toss when Rajiv Gandhi was screaming disarmament. It was only as India strengthened economically and militarily that geopolitical leverage followed in the form of NSG waiver or MTCR membership…
I digress.. Any way I hope it is an useful explanation..
by Headstrong
For approximately the same reasons you people seek to counter India. Regional hegemony, existential threat and all that jazz….
by GhalibKabir
My friend, you should read the book ‘eating grass’ on the bomb by a brig general of the Pak army strategic plans division. China has the worst proliferation record in both nuclear and missile technology. As a NPT acceder state and global economic powerhouse it got accepted into the NSG as it suited global powers well too in terms of economics etc. ( clue Areva and Westinghouse) no such compulsion for it for the MTCR, it stole what it needs anyway.
At the end of the day, it is not a question of others did it too, somethings are more egregious than others and China remains (as a Pakistani friend described it) ‘a scary state’ with a terribly repressive government. The South China Sea land grab is a blatant illustration of the misuse of power China is capable of… No comparisons with the U.S. Explains away this thuggishness
by GhalibKabir
If we got real technology that would be good. However DCNS leaks showed how France was blatantly screwing over India for the same money while telling Australia how for the same cash Tech transfer levels would be much higher. No wonder they got kicked off for the follow on orders.
China is to be emulated here, going indigenous is the only way people cannot have you over a barrel at their whim and fancy.
by Steve
China has never had aggressive designs on India for centuries. It only defeated you guys in 1962 after major provocations. That involved land forces not subs. You guys better invest in mountain divisions and road infrastructure rather than subs…
by Steve
We need to separate facts from propaganda here. “Scary” and “repressive” are recent labels suiting the West as they are having their backside kicked in A’stan, and this is convenient way to pressure Pak and shift blame. Lucky for you after 9/11 it ties in with the Indian narrative as well. This is not the forum to debate repression, my friend. A few very recent examples spring to mind. Pot calling the kettle black and all that. All I would say is that nobody in the whole world after the Manhatten project can say ALL there nuclear and missle tech is “indigenous”, like some countries would have you believe. I agree with Syed. India is getting free passes by Americans as it suits their global agenda and India is a pawn in it. Not because of anything Indians have done or not done. Good luck with NSG. Back to subs I think…
by Headstrong
Thanks for your suggestion – but we’ll decide what we need. We do have the resources to invest in mountain divisions and subs. Without credit/ funding, unlike some others in the region 😉
As far as China’s intentions go, it has made them very clear by supporting the likes of Masood Azhar and Hafeez Saeed, and going against every other member in the UNSC. That tells us everything we need to know about China’s designs. Not that we needed confirmation, of course. When China decides to deploy submarines for anti-piracy patrols, that tells us a lot too.
The 62 debacle was maybe a blessing in disguise. Not only did it lull Pakistan into a false sense of superiority, which was comprehensively dispelled in 65, but also strengthened India sufficiently to deter China in the 67 incidents. No full fledged battle with the Chinese ever since. I guess it pays to stand up to bullies 🙂
by Steve
It’s unusual that you consider a defeat a “blessing”. Very strange. China has kept the peace since because they don’t want a war for no reason while they develop their country, not because of your money spent on weapons. Good luck with your military investments (without credit). 40 SSK and 10 SSBN like your countyman suggested is not cheap. Work out the maths yourself, and you may run out of zeros! I think India owes the world $485 Billion as of this year. That’s hardly no credit. The end result is visible to anybody who dares to visit India. Apart from Eastern type “spirituality” and a Third World experience which some Western people crave, every Western person has appalling stories of lack of infrastructure when they visit. That’s directly related to money wasted on weapons which you don’t need, and will definitely not use against anyone in any logical scenario.