Commentary: Meet the Republic of Singapore Navy’s new poison shrimp. They even call it 'Invincible'
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Commentary: Meet the Republic of Singapore Navy'south new poison shrimp. They even telephone call information technology 'Invincible'
Just the proliferation of these capabilities in Asia suggests information technology's as well fourth dimension to review the prophylactic rules of the game, an effort the city-state should also focus on, says RSIS' Collin Koh.
The 70-metre long vessel, christened the Invincible, volition soon be in performance in Singapore waters. (Photograph: Jeremy Koh)
25 Feb 2022 06:28AM (Updated: 25 Feb 2022 12:22PM)
SINGAPORE: With the launch of RSS Invincible in Kiel, Singapore is the latest Asia-Pacific country to introduce new-generation submarines, riding on a persistent trend observed amongst regional navies in acquiring undersea capabilities.
Notably, just last year alone South Korea launched its kickoff 3,000-ton KSS-3 submarine that has enhanced long-range missile strike capabilities. Japan also has introduced the world's first submarine equipped with lithium-ion batteries for enhanced underwater operation.
Further south, Australia just last week inked a strategic partnering agreement with France, committing to the 12-gunkhole, United states$50-billion Time to come Submarine programme.
But it is in Southeast Asia that Singapore'south latest addition to its navy becomes significant. Customised to the navy'due south requirements, the new Blazon-218SG with its in-built air independent propulsion (AIP) and larger weapons load is arguably the most sophisticated submarine introduced past far in the region.
Singapore began operating submarines in the 1990s, purchasing second-manus boats from Sweden.
The first four boats, the Sjoormen (renamed Challenger) course, seeded the navy's initial undersea operational and grooming capacity. They were built in the 1960s, and progressively retired as the pair of 1980s-vintage newer Vastergotland (renamed "Archer") class entered service after 2005.
Usually a warship tin serve upwards to xxx years, possibly 40 years with careful maintenance. But aged platforms are generally less cost-constructive to upgrade for extended service, and is less safety to operate.
Acquiring a submarine capability is time-consuming and resource-intensive. Without timely replacement, a pre-existing submarine capacity may be lost over time.
Non many people know that Thailand was in fact Southeast Asia's offset submarine user, operating four Japanese-built boats from 1938 to 1951. Since then, without replacement, the Majestic Thai Navy saw the erosion and eventual loss of its submarine capacity, which had to be congenital from scratch once again at huge expense with its recent decision to buy three boats from China.
Putting aside the practical issue of sustaining a painstakingly built military capability, the question is why pursue a submarine adequacy of all naval platforms?
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A submarine, unlike a surface warship, operates unseen underwater – it can only be heard on sonar. The underwater environment is circuitous, and sonar technology is still short of perfect. One may fault sounds made by a marine mammal for a submerged submarine.
The submarine's stealth qualities when submerged makes information technology a formidable foe to any naval planner.
During the Falklands War in 1982, the Royal Navy expended much effort without success to chase for a single Argentine submarine San Luis which was regarded as a unmarried major threat to the British fleet off the isles even after Buenos Aires refrained from committing its surface fleet – including its sole shipping carrier – following the loss of battlecruiser "General Belgrano" to the British submarine "Conquistador".
The disproportionate amount of countermeasures undertaken by an anti-submarine force just to locate and destroy i submarine thus complicates the adversary's strategy, causes diversion and may exist potentially decisive in an armed conflict.
This may explain the persistent allure of the submarine to Asia-Pacific navies seeking to bolster peacetime deterrence.
In Singapore terms, submarines are quite literally the poison shrimp.
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RACE OR NO RACE?
Only doesn't Singapore's acquisition risk sparking off an arms race? This is a often asked notwithstanding cliched question. Broadly speaking, an arms race constitutes an action-reaction cycle between countries seeking to enhance their military capabilities over their perceived or actual adversaries.
Such a phenomenon takes on both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. The starting time deals solely with pure numbers. The latter concerns the inherent capabilities of a submarine.
Whether Singapore's latest Type-218SGs would provoke a submarine race in Southeast Asia at least, requires a nuanced examination. The Commonwealth of Singapore Navy will ultimately have merely the 4 Type-218SGs later 2024, which represents overall no expansion in fleet size once all ex-Swedish boats are retired.
From a mere "bean-counting" perspective, Singapore may not be altering the naval power residue in the region.
READ: Is at that place an arms race among navies in Southeast Asia? A commentary
However, like many other Asia-Pacific navies considering of the exorbitant expense involved, Singapore may not exist introducing more than submarines but at 70m long and displacing two,200 tonnes while submerged, the Type-218SG is without doubt larger and more capable.
Information technology has a built-in German-made fuel-cell AIP technology for prolonged underwater endurance – significant, less frequent need to "snort" or swallow air to replenish its batteries. This feature does not represent a drastic capability stride-upwards since the Archer class already operates the Swedish Stirling AIP that serves the same function, admitting with a 50 per cent increase in submerged endurance.
But considering of its larger chapters, the Type-218SG has ample room for future upgrades. This means keeping with the evolving threat environment Singapore may face in the future to progressively enhance the submarine's capability without necessarily expanding the armada.
This means the latent potential to equip the Type-218SG with weapon systems such as long-range offensive strike missiles even though at nowadays it is not armed with such. A submarine paired with unmanned underwater vehicles can also greatly enhance the boat'southward discretion.
Unlike a surface warship that has multiple peace- and wartime functions, a submarine is by inherent design built to shoot and destroy. In times of peace, the submarine's primary purpose is to conduct surveillance – either shadowing targets of involvement out at sea, or even sneaking up a strange coast to collect vital intelligence.
Therefore, when seen in the context of the Asia-Pacific geopolitical flash points, such every bit the Southward China Body of water disputes, it is difficult to ignore the destabilising potential of submarine proliferation.
Think the infamous "Whiskey on the Rocks" saga involving a Soviet submarine inadvertently grounded on Swedish shores, shut to a sensitive naval installation in 1981.
Tensions were loftier over almost ii weeks of diplomatic quarrel and military posturing between Moscow and Stockholm. It is no longer the case of whether a like incident will happen in the Asia-Pacific, merely a question of when.
In January final year, a Chinese submarine was detected and tracked by Japanese naval forces before it surfaced off the disputed Senkaku or Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. This incident, which fortuitously did not develop into an incendiary state of affairs, appears to exist a harbinger of future risks in shop.
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NEED TO RECONSIDER Safety RULES OF THE GAME
Nevertheless, of more immediate business organization would be the more probable, potential risks of an underwater blow involving submarines, particularly in the congested Asia-Pacific waterways.
Political sensitivities over national sovereignty in the region may impose boosted stumbling blocks against efforts to promote submarine safe.
Less intrusive preventive measures, such as Singapore's Submarine Safety Data Portal (SSIP) and Underwater Code on Unplanned Encounters at Sea (UCUES) could be the possible starting bespeak. These voluntary, non-binding mechanisms only promote information-sharing about navigational hazards and standard procedures to prevent and mitigate underwater accidents, not such sensitive data as submarine locations.
READ: Confined conditions, stressful scenarios, tough training - The life of a Singapore submariner
The Asia-Pacific is witnessing the fastest charge per unit of submarine proliferation, yet underwater safety measures ominously lag backside. Therefore, information technology is time for regional governments to rethink their positions on bolder submarine safety measures, along the lines of water infinite direction and prevention of mutual interference mechanisms for submarine operations that avant-garde militaries have practical, including those nether the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
These initiatives may somewhen be kickstarted past a group of like-minded, Asia-Pacific navies as a minilateral framework, which can so be gradually expanded in membership. Getting more countries on lath seed initiatives such as SSIP and UCUES may be a way forward. They may be pocket-sized measures, only at least much better than waiting for a submarine mishap to happen ane day.
Collin Koh is research fellow with the Maritime Security Program, at the Institute of Defence force and Strategic Studies, Southward. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, based in Nanyang Technological Academy, Singapore.
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