SINGAPORE: The Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) first two Invincible-class submarines - named Invincible and Impeccable - are now fully operational following a commissioning ceremony on Tuesday (Sep 24).
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong officiated the ceremony which was held at Changi Naval Base.
The event was witnessed by Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and other senior officials from the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
Together with the RSN’s existing fleet of submarines, ships and units, the two Invincible-class submarines will fulfil a wide spectrum of operations to safeguard Singapore's waters, protect its sea lines of communication and contribute to regional peace and security, said MINDEF in a news release.
Built and launched in Kiel, Germany, the Invincible-class submarines are designed for operations in Singapore’s shallow and busy tropical waters.
"Custom-built for Singapore’s needs, these submarines possess state-of-the-art capabilities, including high levels of automation, significant payload capacity, enhanced underwater endurance, and optimised ergonomics," said MINDEF.
It added that the development of the other two Invincible-class submarines, Illustrious and Inimitable, is "progressing well" in Germany, and are expected to return to Singapore by 2028.
The first Invincible-class submarine was launched in 2019. In December 2022, the second and third - Impeccable and Illustrious - were christened by the navy.
The fourth, which is called Inimitabledo888, was launched in April.
The RSS Invincible is one of the two Invincible-class submarines commissioned at RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base on Sep 24, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)