Super Subs: The German Defense Industry Discovers Asia

[unhappycamper]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/germany-s-defense-industry-turns-to-asia-for-business-a-942287.html



The German defense industry is increasingly looking to Asia as a growing market for its products. Conflicts in the Far East have led to a demand for the kind of giant -- and expensive -- submarines that come from shipyards in northern Germany.

Super Subs: The German Defense Industry Discovers Asia
By Otfried Nassauer and Gordon Repinski
January 07, 2014 – 04:46 PM

The special fascination of ThyssenKrupp's new Type 218SG submarine is not immidiately apparent. It only becomes clear at the sight of the delicate, detailed engineering at its stern. That's where the "air independent propulsion system" is installed, connected directly with a gearless Permasyn motor. Built to glide through the sea almost noiselessly, the submarine is quieter and more durable than any other conventional model.

With fuel-cell drive and lithium-ion batteries, such a submarine can stay deployed at sea for more than 80 days and spend four weeks at a time under the surface.

These are ideal capabilities for a war machine built to function in the depths of seemingly endless waters, over routes that can be navigated without interruption for longer than ever before. It is a design suitable for the largest of all oceans: the Pacific.

At the end of November, Singapore, an authoritarian city-state on the edge of the crisis regions of the West Pacific, ordered the first two Type 218SG submarines to be released by German firm ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). The custom-designed machines are to be delivered to the Singapore Navy by 2020. The deal cost the country €1.6 billion ($2.18 billion), which will go directly into the German economy.



unhappycamper comment: $2.18 billion dollars for a new sub? Why does the United States spend around $7 billion dollars for a Virginia-class sub? The answer in three little letters: M-I-C.

[DetlefK]

1. @unhappycamper: That's why it's cheaper.

Those german submarines are exclusively constructed for sea warfare: shooting torpedos and laying mines. Whereas the Virginia-class sub has 12 vertical launchers for cruise-missiles added. It's specialist vs. hybrid.

(And what does MIC mean?)


EDIT: The Israelis developed the dolphin-class from those subs and they can start cruise-missiles. AND they only cost about $1 billion.

[unhappycamper]

2. M-I-C = Military Industrial Complex

I know the differences between nuclear subs and non-nuclear subs; I was just trying to point out the $5 billion dollar difference in the price tag.

Hell, for five billion dollars we could restore the SNAP program or unemployment insurance.

The pic I see when thinking about the MIC:

[Esse Quam Videri]

3. Interesting story.

At first I thought for sure the stated sale values must be a mistake but your comments at the end, I think, are very telling.

[unhappycamper]

4. US military stuff is EXPENSIVE:

Just a few examples:

* B-2, $2.2 billion a copy
* B-1B, $318 million a copy
* F/A-18, $100 million a copy
* F/A-18 Growler, at least $120 million a copy
*MV-22, at least $100 million a copy
* F-22, $418 million a copy
* F-35, $247 million a copy
* Littoral combat ships, $500+ million a copy
* Aegis-class destroyers, $1.8 billion a copy
* Zumwalt-class destroyer, $5+ billion a copy (imagine that - a fucking destroyer costs more than a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier)
* Virginia-class submarines, $7+ billion a copy
* Ford-class aircraft carrier, $40 billion a copy

Even the non-working brain bucket for the F-35 costs $250 grand.

The Army recently put out an RFP for a Hummer replacement. They expect the replacement to cost $250 grand (or less).

Like I said,