German military submarine joins Egyptian Navy

CAIRO – 19 April 2017: Egypt's first Type 209/1400 Submarine arrived from Germany Wednesday to join the Egyptian Navy, the Ministry of Defense announced in a statement.

The submarine was built by the German Thyseen Krupp Marine System and it was sailed to the Egyptian territorial waters by a number of Egyptian naval officers trained in Germany.

The submarine is considered a technological addition to the Egyptian navy and it is expected to help protect Egyptian national security and face the various challenges and threats affecting the safety of the coasts and territorial waters of Egypt, the statement read.

Egypt signed a deal with Berlin to buy two German-made Type-209 submarines in 2011 and it later ordered two more in 2014.

The submarines are armed with missiles and torpedoes, Jane's Information Group, a British publishing company specializing in military, stated, quoting the Egyptian military.
It was further reported that the submarines would be equipped with UGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

The submarine can sail for 11,000 miles, with a speed of 21 knots. It is also provided with modern navigation and telecommunication systems.