Sailing off into the sunset: Singapore Navy retires final 2 Challenger-class submarines

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has retired its last two Challenger-class submarines, making way for the new Invincible-class submarines.

RSS Conqueror and RSS Chieftain were decommissioned in a ceremony held at Changi Naval Base on Monday (Nov 25), the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said in a news release.

The ceremony, officiated by Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral (RADM) Sean Wat, marked the final handover of duties from the Challenger-class Submarines to the Invincible-class Submarines, said Mindef.

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Previously Royal Swedish Navy Sjoormen-class submarines, the Challenger-class submarines entered service with the Singapore Navy in the 1990s. RSS Conqueror and RSS Chieftain were commissioned by then-Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Dr Tony Tan on July 22, 2000 and August 24, 2002 respectively.

The Challenger-class submarines, alongside RSN's pioneer submariners who were trained in Sweden, played an invaluable role in developing Singapore's submarine operating capability, said Mindef.

Over the decades, these vessels helped safeguard Singapore's maritime interests and territorial integrity through numerous operations at sea, and also advanced Singapore's defence relations by participating in bilateral and multilateral exercises, the ministry added.

Speaking at the decommissioning ceremony, Fleet Commander RADM Kwon Hon Chung paid tribute to the two submarines and their generations of crew.

"RSS Conqueror and RSS Chieftain's achievements are a testament to the unwavering resolve and courage of the RSN's pioneer submariners, who laid strong foundations for the growth of 7th Flotilla and the RSN into a world-class submarine operating force," he said.

"It was on board these submarines where we dived into the underwater domain some 29 years ago and overcame numerous challenges with the invaluable assistance from the Royal Swedish Navy."

"From these humble beginnings, the RSN's pioneer submarines pushed the boundaries of submarining with determination and tenacity, and today operate cutting-edge platforms confidently," added RADM Kwon.

Launch of Submarine Training School

At the sidelines of the ceremony, Chief of Navy RADM Sean Wat also officiated the launch of the new Submarine Training School (STS).

Named after RSS Challenger, the school is a one-stop training facility that leverages technological advancements to enhance training realism, effectiveness and efficiency.

STS also features simulators which incorporate realistic scenarios into individual and team training, allowing it to be conducted in a safe environment and efficient manner.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com