thyssenkrupp Marine Systems today officially handed over the fourth 209/1400mod class submarine, named “S44”, to the Navy of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Following the strict corona prevention measures at the shipyard, the handover took place in Kiel. In September 2020, the “S44” was named and launched at the shipyard of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in Kiel. The submarine is extremely reliable, can stay submerged for a long time, is fast, and hard to locate thanks to their low signatures.
The contract for the delivery of the first two 209/1400 mod class submarines to the Arab Republic of Egypt was signed in 2011. In 2015, Egypt decided to take the option for two additional units. The first submarine was handed over in December 2016, the second in August 2017 and the third in April 2020. All four submarines will enhance Egypt’s defense capabilities and combat efficiency, achieve maritime security, and protect Egyptian coasts as well as the economic interests between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Dr. Rolf Wirtz, CEO of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems: “I would like to thank everyone involved for the open dialogue and the trusting cooperation. The success would not have been possible without the professionalism and competence of our employees, customers and suppliers. The handover of the fourth and last HDW Class 209/1400mod submarine in the project means, that our Egyptian colleagues will return home. We wish them all the best for the future and hope to welcome them back at our shipyard for further projects soon.”
Initially based on the design philosophy of the coastal post-war submarines of the German Navy, the diesel-electrically powered HDW Class 209 has become the backbone of our successful partnership with navies all around the world. Due to the various requirements and different areas of operation specified by our naval customers, the size of the submarine increased from the original 1,000 t displacement in some cases by as much as 50%. The impressive result has been the emergence of the “HDW Class 209 submarine family” comprising 60+ family members in over a dozen navies – the top-selling non-nuclear submarine in the Western World. Today, the most recent version – HDW Class 209/1400mod – features state-of-the art technology.