The Portuguese Navy NRP Tridente submarine has joined the NATO mission Sea Guardian and will support the European Union’s Operation IRINI. Operation Sea Guardian is a non-Article 5 maritime security operation aimed at working with Mediterranean stakeholders to maintain maritime situational awareness, deter and counter terrorism and enhance capacity building. Operation IRINI is a European Union military operation under the umbrella of the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) to enforce the United Nations arms embargo to Libya due to the Second Libyan Civil War.
NRP Tridente (S160) is a Tridente class submarine of the Portuguese Navy. The Tridente-class submarines, also designated as U 209PN, are diesel-electric submarines 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 previous submarines of the Albacora class, then being operated by the navy. It is for this reason that the Tridente class is commonly designated as the U 209PN.
The Tridente-class submarines are wrongly classed in the “diesel-electric” class. Their 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 second solution for recharging the batteries, this submarine carries two powerful diesel-electric generators (1.000 KVA) for use only when surfaced, or at snorkel depth.
Submarino Tridente em missao internacional
O NRP Tridente que largou esta semana da Base Naval de Lisboa já se encontra em Cartagena, Espanha.
O navio português irá durante dois meses participar na Operação “Sea Guardian” da NATO e dar apoio à Operação Irini da União Europeia pic.twitter.com/kGLmJh4RnM
— Marinha (@MarinhaPT) June 20, 2021
