Life in a new submarine: Singapore Navy crew on training in Germany, spending months away from loved ones

KIEL, GERMANY — For Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Phang Chun Chieh, the sub-zero temperatures in the Baltic Sea port city of Kiel could hardly detract from a double dose of warm feelings. He was reuniting with his young family after 18 months apart and witnessing the launch of a submarine he will helm.

LTC Phang, 39, is the commanding officer-designate of the Impeccable, one of two Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) submarines launched on Tuesday (Dec 13) in Kiel, the headquarters of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, which built the purpose-designed boats in close collaboration with the Singapore authorities.

The presence of LTC Phang's wife and his twin eight-year-old boys to witness the work he had been doing was a special moment for him, all the more so because this occasion had been delayed owing to Covid-19.

He said: “It’s like coming full circle — it’s very fulfilling because they finally get to see the hard work that the crew has put in.”

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officiated at the ceremony. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen also attended, along with other key figures from both Germany and Singapore.

In keeping with maritime tradition, the vessels were launched by a civilian woman, known as a "lady sponsor". This was Mr Lee's wife, Madam Ho Ching, for this occasion.

Despite the long separation from his family, LTC Phang was quick to brush aside the sacrifices he had made in order to fulfil his military duties. 

“I’m very appreciative that my wife is... in Singapore, handling her work, handling household matters, handling my two sons as well their schooling,” he said. 

He added that family members of military personnel deployed overseas have also “made their own little sacrifices” to allow their deployment to happen. 

“I always try to remind myself and remind my crew that family is the crew’s greatest source of strength.”

Even when the launch ceremony was over, LTC Phang and his crew’s work was not, and he would soon have to say goodbye to his family once more. 

He and his crew will be spending several more months in Kiel with the submarines where they will undergo a series of sea trials, among other duties. 

The two boats launched on Tuesday are part of the Invincible-class submarines, which are custom-designed in collaboration with Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, for operations in Singapore waters. The other boat is called the Illustrious.

The first submarine in this class, named the Invincible, was launched in 2019, while the fourth submarine Inimitable, is under construction. 

LIFE ON A SUBMARINE 

LTC Phang is not the only serviceman who has spent the last one-and-a-half years away from home. 

For 29-year-old Military Expert (ME)2 Navinraj Chandra Segran, the experience of working in a submarine was a relatively new one, that came with unexpected sights and sounds.

The underwater systems supervisor-designate on the Impeccable joined the RSN in 2011, but had been previously deployed as a navigation systems supervisor aboard a surface ship under the RSN. 

He went through a qualification course for his latest submarine role in 2019. 

“It has always been my interest to join the submarine fleet. When there was an opportunity. I quickly grabbed it,” he said. 

Working in a submarine, while still out at sea, was a vastly different experience from working in a surface vessel. 

For one thing, the entire boat was “smaller and more compact” than any surface vessel he had been on, he added.

“I was amazed to see such a small vessel filled with all the systems onboard, while having the space for us to manoeuvre.” 

In the past, he navigated using a radar on the surface vessel. In the submarine, he will have to navigate using sonar systems, which depends on sound waves. 

“It’s the same thing, navigation, just that I will be using different senses; one was eyes, but now it is ears.” 

Unlike ME2 Navinraj, ME3 Marcus Chua, who is the Coxswain-designate on the Impeccable, has been in service since 1995 and been deployed on submarines since 2002. 

Being familiar with the previous Challenger and Archer submarine classes, ME3 Chua said that the new Invincible-class submarines has more automated systems. 

“Back then, everything was very manual,” the 45-year-old said. “To operate a system, we need to go to the particular location, start it up, then we can operate it.” 

For instance, when he used to be a sonar operator, he needed to plot the submarines surroundings on a piece of paper, but with automation, this process is now done automatically, saving time.

“Now with the Invincible-class submarines… you can operate the system remotely from a central location, and that makes operating this submarine more efficient.”

There are also other comforts on the new submarines, such not having to “hot bunk”, where more than one crew member shared the same bed.

This was something that the crew of submarines had to do last time, since there were limited beds. 

“With regards to the personal bunking, I think (the Invincible-class submarines) provide a lot more personal space for each individual,” ME3 Chua said.