The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has commissioned its first two Invincible-class submarines — RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable — this week.
Singapore Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong officiated the commissioning ceremony of the submarines at RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base on Tuesday.
Senior Minister and Co-ordinating 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) were also present to witness the ceremony.
RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable are now fully operational. Together with the RSN’s existing fleet of submarines, ships and units, they 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.
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.
The development of RSN’s other two Invincible-class submarines — Illustrious and Inimitable — is progressing well in Germany, and they are expected to return to Singapore by 2028.
To commemorate the commissioning of the first two Invincible-class submarines, a new orchid hybrid was named after the Invincible-class submarines in a ceremony held at RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base.
The ceremony was attended by the lady sponsors of the Invincible-class submarines — Ho Ching, Dr Ivy Ng, and Teo Swee Lian.
Following the commissioning ceremony, PM Wong visited RSS Impeccable, where he was briefed on its systems and capabilities. He also interacted with personnel from RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable. He was hosted by Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Sean Wat.
Following the commissioning of the two new RSN submarines, a report by The Straits Times said that the upgraded submarine training centre at RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base had been nicknamed “the fifth boat”, because this centre “houses several training simulators closely modelled on the new submarines”.
ST reported that these “simulators are a significant part of the nine-month course that the RSN’s trainees must undergo before becoming full-fledged submarine operators”. They also have to spend time on the real submarines before they can qualify as “submariners”.
