German shipbuilder TKMS and Singaporean company ST Engineering signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 24 March to explore the establishment of a joint submarine service and maintenance centre in Singapore.
Its aim is to support both the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and international TKMS customers.
The two companies already collaborate on through-life support for the RSN’s Invincible-class Type 218SG submarines. The proposed partnership would expand this scope to include overhaul, maintenance, logistics support, modernisation and upgrades for a wider base of TKMS-operated submarines, potentially even including those of the German Navy.
TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard said, “By combining our expertise with ST Engineering’s shipyard capabilities and service expertise, we are creating a high-performance maintenance and service network in Singapore – for the benefit of the RSN and our international partners.”
Details of the facility, including its eventual location, are yet to be disclosed.
However, such a development would further strengthen Singapore’s position as a regional maintenance, repair and overhaul hub, while marking a deeper move by ST Engineering into the submarine support domain beyond its traditional focus on surface vessels.
Burkhard was part of a German delegation led by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius during a visit to Singapore.
The MoU coincided with delivery of the RSN’s third Type 218SG submarine, Illustrious, which arrived in Singapore on 21 March aboard the heavy-lift vessel Rolldock Star that had sailed from Kiel.
Beyond Singapore, TKMS continues to pursue major export opportunities. In India, the company remains a contender for the US$8 billion Project 75I programme to supply six diesel-electric submarines, with reports suggesting a decision may be imminent.
In the Philippines, TKMS is partnering with Italy’s Fincantieri to offer the Type 212 design, as Manila advances its first submarine acquisition programme.
by Chen Chuanren
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