10 April 2020; MEMO: Egypt has received a third Type 209/1400 submarine from Germany, the Egyptian army announced yesterday.
The Egyptian army’s spokesperson, Tamer Al-Refai, announced on Facebook that the submarine was the third of a total of four, as part of a deal signed between the two countries in 2014, to support the Egyptian navy’s capabilities.
Al-Refai added that the submarine was handed over to Egypt at the German port of Kiel: “After the technical and specialised crew completed simultaneous training in Egypt and Germany in record time.”
Manufactured by the German company, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, the diesel-electric submarine is 211 feet long and has a submerged speed of 22.5 knots and a submerged range of 400 nautical miles, at a speed of four knots. The 64-metre long submarine is capable of firing missiles against both land and naval targets.
Cairo first signed a deal with Berlin to buy two German-made Type 209 submarines in 2011, but ordered two more in 2014 – the first submarine, S41, in December 2016 and the second, S42, in August 2017.
“The German submarine is a vital part of military strategies and works in various marine environments,” Al-Refai added.
