NRP Arpao (S161)

History

NRP Arpao (S161) is an active duty diesel-electric attack submarine of the Portuguese Navy. Her keel was laid in 2005 and the ship officially entered service on 22 December 2010.

Her design was derived from the German Type 214 design by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH, which has since been adopted by the Korean and Greek governments as well. For the Portuguese Navy, the Arpao is the second of the Trident-class two-person combat boats, initially the third (one of which was eventually discontinued).

Her sister ship (and squad leader) is the NRP Tridente (S160). The Tridente class officially replaces the outgoing Albacora class.

The NRP Arpao takes the form of a conventional submarine by modern standards, a relatively compact form compared to the large nuclear-powered designs seen today in the US and Russia. She has a flat upper deck with sails set amidships. Her front and back are covered by tapered ends for a subtle, streamlined approach. The dive plane is mounted forward of the sail along the upper part of the hull, and the power unit is located in the stern with the propeller system and rudder assembly. All in all, she displaces 1,700 tons when surfaced and 2,000 tons underwater.

She specified a length of 222 feet, a beam of 21 feet, and a draft of 22 feet. Her navigation kit is powered by a Kelvin Hughes KH-1007 series radar system. Her crew consists of up to 33 employees, including officers and sailors.

The Arpao is powered by a diesel electric unit consisting of 2 Siemens Sinavy generators, 2 MTU 16V396 TB-94 diesel generators and 1 Siemens Permasyn electric motor driving 1 propeller shaft. Batteries power the vessel when it is submerged, while generators onboard provide propulsion power when the vessel is surfaced. The battery charges when you surface. The propulsion assembly is combined with a low-noise propeller assembly that provides greater stealth.

The maximum diving speed is 20 knots, the surface speed can reach 10 knots, and the operating range is about 12,000 nautical miles when operating at 8 knots under ideal conditions. This gives the ship a lifespan of around 45 days.

It has a maximum declared depth capability of up to 300 meters (985 feet).

As an attack submarine, the Arpao is equipped with no less than eight 533mm torpedo tubes. It carries 12 reloads of Alenia Marconi IF-21 "Black Shark" torpedoes. It can also fire the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing UGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile, which can carry up to six such missiles.

Your Combat Management System (CMS) is managed by the Atlas Electronics ISUS 90 Series Kit.

On the surface, NRP Arpao and her sister form a key part of the humble Portuguese navy. The navy also includes frigates, frigates and patrol boats to help cover Portugal's vast coastline overlooking the Atlantic Ocean -- and national interests beyond.

Specification

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