Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Mr Lawrence Wong officiated the commissioning ceremony of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)’s first two Invincible-class Submarines, RSS Invincible and RSS Impeccable, at RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base today. Senior Minister and Coordinating 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.
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 in RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base. The ceremony was attended by the lady sponsors of the Invincible-class submarines, Mdm Ho Ching, Dr Ivy Ng, and Ms Teo Swee Lian. Following the commissioning ceremony, Prime Minister Lawrence 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.
The Invincible-class submarines, formally classified as the Type 218SG submarines, is a class of conventionally-powered attack submarines on order by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) from German-based naval conglomerate ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). Tailored to the operational requirements of the RSN, the model is derivative of the export-oriented Type 214 submarine, with specific design characteristics drawn from Type 212 submarines. The development of other two Invincible-class submarines, Illustrious and Inimitable, is progressing well in Germany, and are expected to return to Singapore by 2028.
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.
