Tridente-class submarine | |
---|---|
NRP Tridente at the Lisbon Naval Base | |
Class overview | |
Builders: | HDW |
Operators: | Portuguese Navy |
Preceded by: | Albacora class submarines |
Building: | o |
Planned: | 3 |
Completed: | 2 |
Cancelled: | 1 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Attack submarine (SSK) |
Displacement: |
1,700 tons (surfaced) 2,020 tons (submerged) |
Length: | 67.7 m (222 ft) |
Beam: | 6.35 m (21 ft) |
Draught: | 6.6 m (22 ft) |
Propulsion: | Diesel-electric, fuel cell AIP, low noise skew back propeller |
Speed: |
20 knots (37 km/h) submerged 10 knots (19 km/h) surfaced 6 knots (11 km/h) AIP system |
Range: | 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 km)} at 8 knots (15 km/h) |
Endurance: | 60 days |
Test depth: | superior to 300 m (984 ft) |
Capacity: | 14 Marines |
Complement: |
7 Officers 10 Petty-officers 16 Enlisted |
Sensors and processing systems: |
Kelvin Hughes KH-1007 (F) navigation radar Atlas Elektronik GmbH ISUS 90 combat management system |
Armament: |
(8) 533 mm torpedo tubes, (4) subharpoon-capable 12 x Alenia Marconi Systems IF-21 Blackshark torpedo reloads |
The Tridente class, also designated as U 209PN, is a diesel-electric submarine class based on the Type 214 submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW) for the Portuguese Navy.
This class of submarines was acquired by Portugal to replace the last submarines of the Albacora class, then being operated by the navy. Originally, HDW proposed the Type 209 submarine (U-209) during the competition, but decided to later enter a new proposal based on the Type 214. It is for this reason that the Tridente class is commonly designated as the U 209PN.
The class and its ships are the first to not be named after marine animals, thus breaking a tradition retracing back to 1913, when the first submarine entered service with the Portuguese Navy.
Ships[]
The Tridente class submarine is wrongly classed in the "diesel-electric" class. Its propulsion is exclusively electric, with electric motors powered by batteries. These batteries may be charged while submerged by "fuel-cells" (inverse electrolysis) for which, this submarine carries a huge supply of liquid oxygen and hydrogen. Also, and solely as a 2nd solution for recharging the batteries, this submarine carries 2 powerful diesel electric generators (1.000 KVA) for use only when surfaced, or at "snorkel" depth .
Submerged, from Lisbon, this submarine may reach the Cape of Good Hope and return, in 15 days.
Pennant | Name | Laid down | Commissioned |
---|---|---|---|
S160 | NRP Tridente | 2005 | May 2010 |
S161 | NRP Arpão | 2005 | December 2010 |
Image gallery[]
See also[]
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tridente class submarines. |
- Tridente class information at the Portuguese Navy website (in Portuguese)
- 209PN profile at the Portuguese Navy website (in Portuguese)
- Submarino de ataque (SSK) classe Tridente (tipo U-214) - Área Militar (in Portuguese)
- Acquisition history of the U-209PN class (in Portuguese)
- Article about the differences between the U209, U212, U214 and U209PN (in Portuguese)
The original article can be found at Tridente-class submarine and the edit history here.