Daphné-class Submarine
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The ''Daphné''-class submarine was a
class Class, Classes, or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used d ...
of the diesel-electric powered
submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
s designed and constructed for the
French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
in 1964. Marketed by the
French government The Government of France (, ), officially the Government of the French Republic (, ), exercises Executive (government), executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister of France, prime minister, who is the head of government, ...
for the export market, the ''Daphné'' design went on to serve in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
while there were subclasses based on the ''Daphné'' design that were commissioned in the navies of
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, and
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. The submarines were in operation between 1964 and the late 1990s, their service lives being extended to fill the capability gap until the newer French
nuclear submarine A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically diesel-electric) submarines. Nuclear propulsion ...
s became available. Two French submarines were lost and a third was sunk, but was salvaged.


Background and design

These submarines were developed from the preceding by the
French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...
. Larger than the ''Aréthuse'' class, they were a second-class counterpart to the ocean-going ''Narval'' class. Their design emphasized maneuverability, low noise production and ease of maintenance. As a result, the submarines were extremely quiet when submerged. Their maintenance system was based on modular replacement which led to low crew numbers, but also led to no reloads for their
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
complement. Submarines of the ''Daphné'' class in French service measured long overall with a beam of and a draught of . They had a
standard displacement The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into wei ...
of , and displaced surfaced and submerged. The submarines had a
double hull A double hull is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom and sides of the ship have two complete layers of watertight hull surface: one outer layer forming the normal hull of the ship, and a second inner hull which is some di ...
and had a complement of 6 officers and 39 sailors. Each vessel of the class was fitted with two SEMT-Pielstick
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...
s, with two 450-
kilowatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...
diesel generator sets, and two electric motors turning two
shafts ''Shafts'' was an English feminist magazine produced by Margaret Sibthorp from 1892 until 1899. Initially published weekly and priced at one penny, its themes included votes for women, women's education, and radical attitudes towards vivisection ...
creating sustained with the ability to create for short periods. The first seven boats were given the SEMT-Pielstick 12 PA1 diesel engine type, while the final two hulls were given the SEMT-Pielstick 12 PA4-135 type. The submarines had a diving depth of and could remain at sea for 30 days. ''Daphné''-class submarines had a maximum speed of surfaced and submerged with a range of at while
snorkelling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing the ambient air through a shaped tube called a snorkel, usually with swimming goggles or a ...
. The submarines were equipped with twelve
torpedo tube A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...
s, eight located in the bow and four located in the
stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. O ...
. The submarines was armed with twelve torpedoes and no reloads. Each submarine sported one DRUA 33
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
and DUUA 1
sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects o ...
. Beginning in 1971, the boats were modernized and given the DUUA 2B search and attack sonar located in a dome situated atop the bow. They also received the updated DLT D3 torpedo fire control system. The submarines also mounted DSUV 2 passive sonar and DUUX 2 acoustic telemeter.


Construction and career

Constructed at three shipyards in France, the first entered service in 1964 and the last in 1970. Two French submarines were lost; ''Minerve'' in 1968 and ''Eurydice'' in 1970. All of the remaining submarines underwent modernization beginning in 1971. ''Sirène'' sank in 1972 at
Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...
, but was salvaged. The boats were planned for disposal in the 1980s, however, the slow delivery of their
nuclear submarine A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically diesel-electric) submarines. Nuclear propulsion ...
replacements led to their careers being extended.


Ships in class


Export

Following the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the export market for warships had changed. Gone were the old purveyors of export warships like Italy and the US only sold used designs. This left the United Kingdom and France as the only countries with the extra shipbuilding capability to build ships for export. In the 1960s, the United Kingdom offered the and the French offered the ''Daphné'' class. The ''Oberon''s were more expensive and more difficult to operate. Smaller navies opted for the ''Daphné''s or in the case of Spain, were rejected by the United Kingdom.


Pakistan Navy

The
Pakistan Navy The Pakistan Navy (PN) (; ''romanized'': Pākistān Bahrí'a; ) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Com ...
''Daphné''-class submarines, sometimes dubbed the ''Hangor'' class, were three submarines built in France for Pakistan and one acquired from Portugal in 1975. The first three hulls ordered were the first ever submarines constructed for Pakistan. The ''Hangor'' class used the 12 PA4-135 type diesel engines and had a complement of 5 officers and 45 sailors. Their interior differed from the French model in order to meet Pakistan's requirements. The fourth hull was acquired from Portugal in 1975. PNS ''Hangor'' sank the Indian frigate during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war. In the late 1980s, the vessels had the capability of launching submarine-launched
anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM or ASM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. ...
s added, making them able to fire Harpoon missiles. Pakistan has now retired the submarines and is replacing them.


Portuguese Navy

The four ''Albacora''-class submarines of the
Portuguese Navy The Portuguese Navy (), also known as the Portuguese War Navy (''Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa'') or as the Portuguese Armada (''Armada Portuguesa''), is the navy of the Portuguese Armed Forces. Chartered in 1317 by King Dinis of Portugal, it is ...
were ordered in 1964 and built in France using the ''Daphné'' design with some modifications to meet Portuguese requirements. The submarines were of prefabricated design with component sections being constructed between 1 October 1964 and 6 September 1965. The four vessels were equipped with the SEMT-Pielstick 12 PA1 diesel engines. The submarines were fitted for operating in tropical waters. In 1975 Portugal sold ''Cachalote'' to Pakistan.


South African Navy

After South Africa became a republic in 1961, the country was forced to leave the
Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
and the United Kingdom refused to sell weapons to the country. South Africa turned to France and in conjunction with the construction of a submarine base at
Simon's Town Simon's Town (), sometimes spelled Simonstown, is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa and is home to Naval Base Simon's Town, the South African Navy's largest base. It is located on the shores of Simon's Bay in False Bay, on the eastern s ...
, acquired three ''Daphné'' hulls in 1967. These were the first submarines ever constructed for South Africa. Upon completion of the first ship, the three vessels were sometimes referred to as the ''Maria van Riebeeck'' class. They had a complement of 47, including 6 officers. The submarines were modernized locally, receiving updated sonar and displays in the 1980s, with ''Emily Hobhouse'' finishing the refit in 1988, ''Johanna van der Merwe'' in 1990 and ''Maria van Riebeeck'' in 1992. In 1980, South Africa attempted to acquire two of Portugal's hulls.


Spanish Navy

As part of Spain's attempt to build up their shipbuilding industry in the post-World War II era, they sought to learn techniques from various nations by acquiring ships from them, such as American destroyers and submarines. Initially, the Spanish sough to acquire British ''Oberon''-class submarines but failed to complete a deal after receiving a negative reaction from the British. The Spanish turned to the French and in an agreement signed on 16 July 1966, acquired the right to build ''Daphné''-class submarines under license in Spain with design aid from France. Designated the ''Delfín'' class or the S-60 class by Spain, the vessels were of a modified design, measuring long with a draught of and displacing surfaced and submerged. The first two hulls were ordered in December 1966, followed by two more in March 1970. A fifth hull was planned, but never ordered. All four submarines were by built by Bazan at their Cartagena dockyard. The submarines were modernized at Cartagena between 1983 and 1988 where the navy replaced their DUUA 1 sonar forward with the DUUA 2A model and updated the torpedo fire control. The DUUA 2 was mounted forward in a dome on the bow like on the French submarines while the submarines kept the DUUA-1D sonar at the rear.


See also

*
List of submarines of France The submarines of France include Nuclear submarine, nuclear attack submarines and nuclear ballistic missile submarines of various List of submarine classes, classes, operated by the French Navy as part of the Submarine forces (France), French Subma ...


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External links


Sous-marin ''Minerve'' : Caractéristiques principales
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daphne-class submarine Submarine classes Ship classes of the French Navy