Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG 2003-04-30 12:32:59
U 31 - The way to the high seas
Start of trials for the world‘s most up-to-date, non-nuclear submarine.
„The Boat is back again" - headlined the New York Times with the news in 1994 that the German Navy would be getting a revolutionary new submarine - the 212 A class. „Conventional" does not really do justice to it - „non-nuclear" would be better. A submarine fitted out with a production-stage air-independent fuel cell propulsion system, which has caught the world's imagination. A submarine that under normal operations can hardly be detected. This is the German Navy's submarine of tomorrow.
U 31
The christening at HDW in Kiel on 20 March 2002 was a milestone on the path to commissioning the first „U 31" submarine in March 2004. Everything began on 6 July 1994 with the building contract for four boats between the German Office for Defense Technologies & Procurement and ARGE U 212 which formed Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG in Kiel as the lead shipyard and Nordseewerke in Emden for building the submarines. The first boat was begun on 1 July 1998 and launched at the end of April 2002. Extensive port and sea trials were then undertaken.
Actually, trials had started earlier in January 2002. The requirements of the German Navy for air-independence, extremely low electronic codes and highly developed weapon and sensor systems have resulted in a high degree of integration. There is no longer any classic division into platform and payload - the shipyard and supplier system are now a unity. And, as a result, everything is checked to the core.
Particular attention was, of course, paid to the newly developed components for the boat. It was not just enough to apply theoretical considerations to the very many questions that arose. Thus, for instance, two fully integrated land test facilities - namely the fuel cell testing facility at HDW in Kiel and the Command and Weapon Control System (CWCS) - came up with practically-oriented replies even before the submarine was afloat. Thus both time and money were saved.
Life began in earnest for the young submarine on 20 April 2002 as it felt water under its keel for the first time and full practical trials began. A start had been made within HDW's submarine production shop on the integration and startup of the equipment at the beginning of 2002 - something continued at HDW's own pier. This was the place for the yard to furnish its „Port Operational Certificate". This would show that all the equipment was operating in a proper fashion both individually and interactively. And, of course, the equipment had to meet the tough test specifications.
U 31 was in the port up to the beginning of 2003 and during this time the initial crew familiarized itself with the boat during a 4-week stint at the HDW Naval Training Center and in the submarine itself. After all, it is the German Navy that provides the crew for the coming sea trials.
Start of trials for the world‘s most up-to-date, non-nuclear submarine.
„The Boat is back again" - headlined the New York Times with the news in 1994 that the German Navy would be getting a revolutionary new submarine - the 212 A class. „Conventional" does not really do justice to it - „non-nuclear" would be better. A submarine fitted out with a production-stage air-independent fuel cell propulsion system, which has caught the world's imagination. A submarine that under normal operations can hardly be detected. This is the German Navy's submarine of tomorrow.
U 31
The christening at HDW in Kiel on 20 March 2002 was a milestone on the path to commissioning the first „U 31" submarine in March 2004. Everything began on 6 July 1994 with the building contract for four boats between the German Office for Defense Technologies & Procurement and ARGE U 212 which formed Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG in Kiel as the lead shipyard and Nordseewerke in Emden for building the submarines. The first boat was begun on 1 July 1998 and launched at the end of April 2002. Extensive port and sea trials were then undertaken.
Actually, trials had started earlier in January 2002. The requirements of the German Navy for air-independence, extremely low electronic codes and highly developed weapon and sensor systems have resulted in a high degree of integration. There is no longer any classic division into platform and payload - the shipyard and supplier system are now a unity. And, as a result, everything is checked to the core.
Particular attention was, of course, paid to the newly developed components for the boat. It was not just enough to apply theoretical considerations to the very many questions that arose. Thus, for instance, two fully integrated land test facilities - namely the fuel cell testing facility at HDW in Kiel and the Command and Weapon Control System (CWCS) - came up with practically-oriented replies even before the submarine was afloat. Thus both time and money were saved.
Life began in earnest for the young submarine on 20 April 2002 as it felt water under its keel for the first time and full practical trials began. A start had been made within HDW's submarine production shop on the integration and startup of the equipment at the beginning of 2002 - something continued at HDW's own pier. This was the place for the yard to furnish its „Port Operational Certificate". This would show that all the equipment was operating in a proper fashion both individually and interactively. And, of course, the equipment had to meet the tough test specifications.
U 31 was in the port up to the beginning of 2003 and during this time the initial crew familiarized itself with the boat during a 4-week stint at the HDW Naval Training Center and in the submarine itself. After all, it is the German Navy that provides the crew for the coming sea trials.
For more information contact:
(Member of the GSC)
Werftstrasse 112-114
Kiel
D-24143
Germany
Tel: [49] 431 700 0
Fax: [49] 431 700 2312