Hellenic Navy Orders Two Type 209 Submarines, Halting Upgrade Plan

摘要

The Hellenic Navy is to order two new Type 209 submarines with air-independent propulsion (AIP) after aborting planned upgrades for two in-service boats, an industry source told Jane's on 24 February. Details of the decision emerged two days before the Poseldon-class submarine HS Okeanos was relaunched after completing its mid-life modernisation (MLM) under the navy's Neptune II programme. Okeanos was the first of three Type 209 submarines due for upgrade by Hellenic Shipyards in Skara-mangas under Neptune II, but the programme has now been halted at just the one boat. The source said that the navy and Greek Ministry of Defence (MoD) have now asked the shipyard, a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), to deliver two new AIP-equipped Type 209 submarines instead of continuing with the modernisation programme.