BAP ''Chipana'' (SS-34) is one of two Type 209/1200

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

s ordered by the

Peruvian Navy The Peruvian Navy ( es, link=no, Marina de Guerra del Perú, abbreviated MGP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to from the Peruvian littoral. Addit ...

on March 21, 1977. She was built by the German shipbuilder '' Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG'' at its shipyard in

Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...

History

Origin

She was originally named ''Blume'' after the 19th-century

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

Federico Blume, however on April 21, 1980, she was renamed after the

battle of Chipana The Battle of Chipana took place on 12 April 1879, during the War of the Pacific between Chile and Peru. It was the first naval engagement between both navies and took place in front of Huanillos, off the (then) Bolivian coast, as the Peruvian c ...

which took place between naval forces of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

on April 12, 1879. Following

sea trial A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...

s in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

, she arrived at her home port of

Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists o ...

in 1983.

Modernization

In 2018, the BAP ''Chipana'' began the process of being modernized by

SIMA Sima or SIMA may refer to: People * Sima (Chinese surname) * Sima (given name), a Persian feminine name in use in Iran and Turkey * Sima (surname) Places * Sima, Comoros, on the island of Anjouan, near Madagascar * Sima de los Huesos, a cav ...

. The submarine was split in order to replace its mechanical and control equipment. Electrical, navigation and propulsion systems were also upgraded. The German marine company

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems of Germany (often abbreviated TKMS) is a group and holding company of providers of naval vessels, surface ships and submarines. It was founded when large industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp acquired Howaldtswerke-Deutsc ...

assisted Peru with the program, being awarded €40 million to help upgrade Peru's submarines. The other three submarines of the same class – BAP ''Angamos'', BAP ''Antofagasta'' and BAP ''Pisagua'' – were also destined to be upgraded following the completion of work performed on the BAP ''Chipana.''

References

Sources

*Baker III, Arthur D., ''The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 2002-2003''. Naval Institute Press, 2002. *Ortiz Sotelo, Jorge, ''Apuntes para la historia de los submarinos peruanos''. Biblioteca Nacional, 2001. {{DEFAULTSORT:Chipana (Ss-34) 1981 ships Type 209 submarines of the Peruvian Navy Ships built in Kiel