TKMS and ST Engineering to create submarine service ‘hub’ in Singapore

COLOGNE, Germany — Germany’s TKMS and Singapore-based ST Engineering’s naval division signed an agreement on Tuesday toward the establishment of a joint submarine maintenance center in Singapore.

The envisioned center would service the Asian nation’s own TKMS boats of the 218SG class, as well as submarines built by the German shipbuilder for allied nations navigating in the area, the companies said in a statement.

The signing of a memorandum of understanding to that end coincided with a visit to Singapore by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who praised the tiny nation as Berlin’s decades-long ally in the Asia-Pacific region.

Pistorius’ remarks about the companies’ submarine plans lent an air of grand strategy to the pact, as he described the idea of a submarine “hub” that could serve global nations with an interest protecting maritime trade routes — and who happen to have bought submarines from TKMS.

Singapore has ordered six submarines of the 218SG type from the German shipyard, known as the Invincible class, three of which are already delivered.

The city state also buys land weapons from Germany, having amassed what Pistorius called a “big” fleet of Leopard 2 tanks. Various reports peg the number of tanks at 170 tanks or more.

Pistorius said he was delighted to hear Singapore is also considering buying Boeing P-8 maritime-surveillance aircraft, which would create another element of armament commonality with Germany. Berlin received its first P-8 out of an envisioned fleet of eight earlier this year, he added, noting that aircraft already saw service in the Indo-Pacific area.