Italian, German shipbuilders scope PH submarine deal
European shipbuilders Fincantieri and Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems have teamed up for an industrial cooperation agreement to join as the latest contender for the Philippine Navy’s submarine acquisition project.
The “strategic alliance” between Italy’s Fincantieri and Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems seeks to offer Type U212 NFS (Near Future Submarine) class submarines to match the proposals of France’s Naval Group with their Scorpene, South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean with their KSS-IIIPN, and Spain’s Navantia with their S-80PN.
The Philippine Navy’s longtime aspiration for submarines has been hampered by budgetary constraints. The military’s revised 10-year modernization plan worth P2 trillion calls for the acquisition of at least two diesel-electric attack submarines.
“The U212 NFS is an evolution of the HDW Class U212A submarine, featuring low acoustic, magnetic and visual signature characteristics and making it exceptionally stealthy. It meets the highest quality standards and the most stringent rules and requirements, with Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems supplying essential key technologies and components,” Fincantieri said last week.
The U212 NFS submarines are fitted with an air independent propulsion system and would use Amanox nonmagnetic steel, as well as other key technologies to be “virtually undetectable,” offering the Philippine Navy with a “significant strategic advantage,” it claimed.
In addition, the package includes operational support, “unparalleled” level of training, doctrine and logistics, as well as support to develop a new naval base.
“As part of the Horizon III military modernization initiative, the Philippine Navy aims to enhance its archipelagic defense by acquiring cutting-edge weapon systems. In particular, the introduction of submarines would be a game-changer in securing territorial waters, especially in the South China Sea,” Fincantieri said.
