Type 212CD / 212CDE
It is difficult to find reliable information about the prospective U-Boot at the moment. Both the German and Norwegian industrial and government sides are very reticent in providing information about him, especially since press reports suggested a deadlock in the negotiations on this program. The bilateral agreement between Berlin and Oslo was signed on July 30, 2017. The document stipulated that the Norwegian Sjøforsvaret would receive four vessels and Deutsche Marine two. In Norway, they are to replace six Ula-class ships (German: 210, Norwegian P6071). Following the government's declaration, the agreement was concluded by the defense ministries of both countries, represented respectively by BAAINBw and Forsvarsmateriell. At the time, it seemed that the industrial contract could be finalized by the end of 2019. The reports from the German media indicate that the time needed for an agreement on the technical parameters of ships, industrial cooperation and costs was underestimated.
Despite the adoption of common solutions to the basic issues related to the limitation of unit signatures, their combat system, one- or two-compartment design, the way of cooperation with rescue systems (so far German standards did not provide for cooperation with rescue vehicles, e.g. the NSRS), etc., make an agreement. Less radical statements pointed to delays resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic hindering negotiations, others - mainly from Norway - talk openly about technical and financial problems.
In 2017, Norwegian government documents describing project 6346 concerning the so-called new underwater capabilities envisaged spending about EUR 1.3 billion on this program in 2018-2025, and currently Forsvarsmateriell already mentions EUR 3.6 billion gross for the entire series. According to the government agreement of 2017, the Norwegian prototype was to be ready in 2026. It is now clear that this timetable cannot be met. Therefore, the Ministry of Defense in Oslo has already secured funds to modernize four of the six Hives and extend their service until successors arrive.
The German shipbuilding holding company thyssenkrupp Marine Systems published more details at the end of 2020 of its offer for a new submarine for the Dutch Koninklijke Marine. It is based on the 212CD project, i.e. Common Design, developed for the needs of the German-Norwegian program. The presentation of the 212CD E (Expeditionary) project shed light not only on the proposal for the Dutch fleet, but also on the German-Norwegian program, still shrouded in mystery.
By the end of 2020 thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS) had not disclosed any significant information or images of the vessel, a variant of which is also offered to Poland as part of the new type submarine program, codenamed Orka. The term 'Expeditionary' is related to the requirements of the Dutch Royal Navy for a future structure to operate not only in the waters around the metropolis but also in the Dutch overseas territories. Thus, it is to be able to operate in coastal and ocean waters, be characterized by a long range and autonomy.
The offer of tkMS is one of three shortlisted by the Dutch Ministry of Defense in December 2019. Next to it there are the French Naval Group with the conventional nuclear variant of the Barracuda type ships or an enlarged version of the Scorpène and the Swedish Saab Kockums with the ocean variant A26. The Spanish shipbuilding group Navantia with the S-80A unit left the race. Since the significant participation of the local industry in the construction and subsequent servicing of ships is of great importance to the Dutch, the Naval Group established a joint venture with the local Royal IHC shipyard, Saab with the Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding group, and tkMS with Directie Materiële Instandhouding (Department of Maintenance of Naval Equipment) in Den Helder.
Competitors entered the bid analysis phase by the Defense Materials Agency (Defensie Materieel Organisatie), which is expected to conclude a contract for four vessels, which should be completed by 2022. They will replace the four currently operated, recently modernized Walrus ships. The published computer images of the 212CD E unit indicate the direction of development of the submarines designed by the Kiel branch of tkMS on the basis of the well-proven 212A project. Six such units of two series are operated by Deutsche Marine, and four more by the Italian Marina Militare. They are characterized by a modern design, a strong fuselage made of austenitic steel, which makes it difficult to detect by magnetic anomaly detectors of patrol planes and helicopters and protects against sea mines, an advanced AIP (Air Independent Propulsion system, operating without access to atmospheric air) and based on electrochemical fuel cells, firepower, the ability to cooperate with special forces operators and modern technical observation systems.
The offer for the Netherlands is based on the MOTS (Military Of The Shelf) idea, from the military. This relates to the German-Norwegian project 212CD, which is to be the basis for the development of a structure that meets the specific requirements of Koninklijke Marine. As in the case of Poland, the advantage is to be able to share the costs of development and design of this submarine model, as well as subsequent maintenance during operation.
The shape and proportions of the ship are surprising in the new 212CD E graphics. The "diamond" cross-section of the hull immediately catches the eye. It could be viewed as deliberate misinformation, were it not for the fact that in the description of the features of the new design, it is clearly emphasized as a method of limiting the effective reflection surface of the signals of active sonar stations. The fact is that the latest submarines, both conventional and nuclear-powered, have appropriately sloped walls of the light hull (outer deck), and the Swedish A26 even a specially shaped kiosk casing, but the 212CD E - if it will look like that - surprises with the radical nature of this solution.
The unusual "diamond" shape of the 212CD E hull has flat, sloping sides and a break in the middle of their height are clearly visible. The visualizations also show the significantly elongated casing of the kiosk, its wider than the protoplast's width and lower height (so it is "stout") and the considerable width of the hull, largely due to the unusual cross-section.
The unit will be conventionally powered, and the sources of electricity will be lithium-iron-phosphate cells and the AIP system. Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems offered Lithium Iron batteries for the new Norwegian submarines, as an optional alternative to traditional lead acid batteries. The lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery, also called LFP battery is a type of lithium-ion battery. LFP batteries have somewhat lower energy density (the amount of energy stored per unit volume or mass) than the more common lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) battery found in consumer electronics. But compared to other Lithium-ion batteries, the LFP battery are inherently safer, and this if of course a crucial characteristic for a battery planned for use in a submarine.
Compared to a traditional lead acid battery a lithium ion battery offers several benefits. Most important is perhaps that a Lithium-ion battery is one-third the weight of a similar capacity lead acid battery, and a Lithium ion battery can be recharged 5000 times or more, compared to 400-500 times for a lead acid battery. In addition, a lithium Ion battery can be discharged 100%, while a lead acid battery should never be discharged more that 80%; in fact, most lead acid batteries are recommended not to exceed 50% depth of discharge. But despite all benefits of Lithium ion batteries compared to lead acid batteries, the lead acid batteries are significantly more safe, witness the stories of smart phones with lithium Ion batteries catching fire on airplanes.
A similar battery fire in a several hundred kilos battery package on board a submerged submarine, would of course be a total disaster. This is why all submarines were equipped with traditional lead acid batteries. But by offering an alternative battery package for the Norwegian submarines, based on LFP batteries, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems was taking a step into the future, coming up with an alternative that offers many of the huge benefits of the Lithium-ion batteries, while still retaining an acceptable level of safety.
New batteries have been developed by tkMS and the French company Saft since 2015. Three years later, Germany showed the DHW-1 cell to the public at the Euronaval show in Paris. The external dimensions of the DHW-1 are the same as conventional EnerSys-Hawker sodium sulfur cells used on the Type 212A. About 250 DHW-1s will go to the battery compartments of 212CD and probably 212CD E units, significantly extending their immersion time. These batteries will also be offered on export markets as a replacement for the conventional cells used today on ships of types 209 and 214.
In addition, these units will receive the next generation of the AIP system known from its predecessors - PEM FC (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell, fuel cell with a polymer membrane). Already at 212A, it allows staying under water without the need to take air from the outside for about two weeks, without generating heat, noise and increasing other physical fields, negative from the point of view of the submarine.
However, the configuration of the draft rudders will remain unchanged - the bow rudders will go to the conning tower, and the stern ones will be in the shape of the letter "X". The advertising film showed the ship can be equipped with an extensive sonar system, including bow and conning tower antennas, active high-frequency sonar for detection of mines and underwater obstacles, two passive side antennas with very large aperture (similar to those used on the type 212A of the second series) as well as towed sonar.
Little is known about the combat system. In addition to the obvious torpedo launchers and other ammunition, the type 212CD ships will also use drones of various categories.
However, a bit more information was revealed about the Orcca combat management system. It is being developed jointly by Atlas Elektronik (a subsidiary of tkMS) and the Norwegian concern Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, which for this purpose established a joint venture kta Naval Systems in October 2017. Interestingly, the world premiere of this system took place in Poland, during the 15th Baltic Military Fair Balt Military Expo 2018 in Gdansk, where it even received one of the awards, though slightly exaggerated, because this was an unfinished product. At that time, a prototype operator console was shown in an innovative vertical layout with a touch screen, resembling - not only in appearance, but also in the way the application was operated - a great smartphone. This is an obvious tribute to the young generation of submarines, brought up on computer games and, in general, on the Internet. Earlier, this was followed by French companies.
Work was underway to optimize the consoles, their applications and the entire system, which is to be delivered to the "joint" German-Norwegian submarine, as well as probably its potential export variants. Orcca will enable the operator to perform integrated data analysis from a wide range of the ship's technical observation and communications systems through one multi-function console.
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