Singapore unveils advanced submarines as Asia’s undersea rivalry grows

Singapore commissioned two new advanced submarines on Tuesday, vessels its navy says are meant to protect sea lines of communication, and which experts said would range beyond the waters of the tiny city state to keep tabs on the region.

The country’s fifth and sixth submarines, the Invincible and the Impeccable, were ordered from Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in 2013 in a 1-billion-euro (US$1.3 billion) deal, and join older Archer- and Challenger-class boats.

They represent a technological step forward for Singapore’s fleet, experts say, allowing the wealthy Southeast Asian nation to operate farther from shore using fewer sailors, and making its craft among the quietest in the region.

“They are an excellent force multiplier,” said Colonel Fong Chi Onn, commander of Singapore’s submarine flotilla. “And for a country as small as ours, we need all the force multipliers we can get.”

The two new Invincible-class submarines were moored at adjoining piers, decked in colourful naval pennants, with their X-shaped rudders peeking from the water, for Tuesday’s event at Changi Naval Base.