Naval Systems

Type 209 submarine

Also known as
  • HDW Type 209
  • HDW Class 209
  • Class 209 submarine
  • Type 209NG
  • HDW Class 209NG
  • Type 209/1100
  • Type 209/1200
  • Type 209/1400
  • Type 209/1400mod
  • HDW Class 209/1400mod
  • Type 209/1500
  • Glavkos class
  • Salta class
  • Shishumar class
  • Tupi class

The Type 209 is Germany's long-running export diesel-electric attack-submarine family, developed through the HDW lineage and continued in modern TKMS material as the HDW Class 209NG. Public sources tie the family to coastal sea denial, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine-laying, intelligence collection, special-operations support, and documented combat use by Argentina's ARA San Luis during the 1982 Falklands War.

Type 209 submarine, Diesel-electric attack submarine family, Naval Systems
Image source: Wikimedia Commons Type 209 Submarine

Role in Conflicts

1982 Falklands War
Area DenialInterdiction

ARA San Luis, an Argentine Type 209 submarine, conducted a Falklands War patrol and made torpedo attacks against British warships, forcing sustained anti-submarine responses despite scoring no confirmed hit.

Falklands War Patrol

ARA San Luis gives the Type 209 family a directly documented combat entry. USNI describes the Argentine boat as a West German-built Type 209 and records three claimed torpedo attacks during its South Atlantic patrol. The attacks produced no confirmed British ship loss, but the patrol forced repeated anti-submarine searches and kept a quiet diesel-electric submarine threat inside the Royal Navy's campaign planning.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Germany
Type
Diesel-electric attack submarine family
Service note
1970s-present
Designer
Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft / TKMS submarine design lineage
Designed
Late 1960s; 209NG redesign marketed in the 2020s
Produced
1970s-present, variant-dependent

Specifications

Family role
Export diesel-electric attack submarines for sea denial, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, mine-laying, and special-operations support
209NG length
Approx. 63 m
209NG surface displacement
Approx. 1,590 t
209NG height including sail
Approx. 12.6 m
209NG combat system
ORCCA integrated combat system
209NG propulsion and energy options
TKMS describes new high-power diesel generator sets, a highly redundant permanent-magnet propeller motor, and lead-acid or lithium-ion battery compatibility without design changes
209/1400mod length
Approx. 62 m
209/1400mod diameter
Approx. 6.2 m
209/1400mod displacement
Approx. 1,450 t surfaced / 1,600 t submerged
209/1400mod crew
30
Torpedo tubes and weapons
Customer-dependent 533 mm torpedo and missile fit; DSCA documents UGM-84L Harpoon Block II Encapsulated missiles for Egyptian Type 209 submarines, and Lockheed Martin documents Mark 48 Mod 6AT launches from Brazilian U209/Tupi-class Tapajo
Design Lineage and Export Pattern

The Type 209 is best read as an export family rather than one immutable submarine class. Early rows such as 209/1100 and 209/1200 established the HDW export line, while later 209/1400mod and 209NG material shows how TKMS continued to market updated sensors, propulsion, battery, combat-system, and customer-option packages around the same broad conventional-submarine niche.

Export baseline

NTI's chronology starts the family with Greece's 1967 Glavkos Type 209/1100 order and records early follow-on 209/1200 customers including Argentina.

Source: NTI German Submarine Exports.

Modern 1400mod line

Egypt's 209/1400mod program gives a recent TKMS-built example, with the fourth boat launched in 2020 and handed over in 2021.

Sources: Naval News Egypt S44 Launch; Naval News Egypt S44 Handover.

209NG update

TKMS frames 209NG as a redesign that preserves the older family qualities while adding ORCCA, low-signature features, selectable battery options, and optional countermeasure or special-forces systems.

Source: TKMS HDW Class 209.

Variants

The Type 209 family spans early export-displacement groups, customer-specific national classes, and newer 209/1400mod and 209NG material. Public sources differ by customer fit, so these rows identify source-backed variant lines rather than a single fixed standard.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Type 209/1100Early export baseline

NTI's German submarine export chronology lists Greece's 1967 Glavkos-class Type 209/1100 order as the first Type 209 export line.

Sources: NTI German Submarine Exports

Type 209/1200Early export attack-submarine variant

NTI lists Argentine Salta-class and other 209/1200 orders in the early export chronology; USNI identifies ARA San Luis as the Type 209 boat that patrolled against the British task force in 1982.

Sources: NTI German Submarine Exports, USNI ARA San Luis Falklands War Patrol

Type 209/1400 ModExport diesel-electric submarine variant

GlobalSecurity identifies the 209/1400 Mod as the submarine model supplied by the German Submarine Consortium for South Africa, with construction in Kiel involving HDW, Thyssen Nordseewerke, and Ferrostaal.

Sources: GlobalSecurity South Africa Type 209

HDW Class 209/1400modRecent TKMS export configuration

Naval News, using TKMS press-release details, describes Egypt's 209/1400mod boats as the latest HDW Type 209 version at launch, with over 60 Type 209 boats built or under contract.

Sources: Naval News Egypt S44 Launch

Type 209/1500Larger export variant

NTI lists India's 1981 Shishumar Type 1500 order in the German submarine export chronology.

Sources: NTI German Submarine Exports

HDW Class 209NGModernized export submarine design

TKMS describes the 209NG as a redesign of the HDW Class 209 with ORCCA combat-system integration, selectable lead-acid or lithium-ion battery options, low-signature design features, and optional systems for torpedo countermeasures or special-forces support.

Sources: TKMS HDW Class 209

Documented Weapon Fits

Type 209 customer fits vary by navy. The links below cover weapons directly tied to Type 209 variants by government or manufacturer sources.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
Harpoon, Anti-ship cruise missile family, MunitionsHarpoonSubmarine-launched anti-ship missile family

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency described UGM-84L Harpoon Block II Encapsulated missiles as submarine-launched missiles supporting Egypt's Type 209 submarines.

Sources: DSCA Egypt UGM-84L Harpoon

Mark 48 heavyweight torpedo, Submarine-launched heavyweight torpedo, Naval SystemsMark 48 heavyweight torpedo533 mm heavyweight torpedo

Lockheed Martin reported that the Brazilian Navy's SS Tapajo, a U209/Tupi-class submarine, detected, tracked, and launched Mark 48 Mod 6AT torpedoes during combat-system sea trials.

Sources: Lockheed Martin Brazil U209 Combat System

Timeline

Type 209 submarine Key Events

  1. First export order

    NTI lists Greece ordering the Glavkos-class Type 209/1100 in 1967, starting the export chronology for the family.

    Sources: NTI German Submarine Exports

  2. San Luis begins torpedo attacks

    USNI says ARA San Luis opened its Falklands War attack sequence against HMS Yarmouth and HMS Brilliant, then survived a prolonged British anti-submarine response.

    Sources: USNI ARA San Luis Falklands War Patrol

  3. South Africa signs 209/1400 Mod contract

    GlobalSecurity records South Africa's contract for three Type 209 1400 Mod submarines from the German Submarine Consortium.

    Sources: GlobalSecurity South Africa Type 209

  4. Egypt orders first 209/1400mod pair

    Naval News reports that Egypt's first two 209/1400mod submarines were contracted in 2011, followed by an option for two additional units in 2015.

    Sources: Naval News Egypt S44 Launch

  5. Egypt's S44 launched at Kiel

    TKMS named and launched the fourth Egyptian 209/1400mod submarine, S44, at its Kiel shipyard.

    Sources: Naval News Egypt S44 Launch

  6. Fourth Egyptian 209/1400mod handed over

    Naval News reports that S44 was handed over as the fourth and final submarine in Egypt's 209/1400mod program.

    Sources: Naval News Egypt S44 Handover

Related Weapon Systems
D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso, Aviso / light corvette, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsD'Estienne d'Orves-class avisoAviso / light corvetteThe D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso, also known as the Type A69, is a French-built light corvette and offshore-patrol family developed for coastal anti-submarine warfare, escort, and overseas-presence missions. Arsenal de Lorient built the French class around an 80-meter diesel hull with Exocet missiles, a 100 mm CADAM gun, torpedoes, and a 375 mm anti-submarine rocket launcher; later French service shifted surviving ships into high-seas patrol duties after heavy anti-submarine and anti-ship weapons were removed.
D'Estienne d'Orves-class / A69 type aviso, Aviso / light corvette class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsD'Estienne d'Orves-class / A69 type avisoAviso / light corvette classThe D'Estienne d'Orves-class / A69 type aviso is a French-built light corvette and patrol-vessel family developed for coastal anti-submarine warfare, escort, and overseas-presence missions. Arsenal de Lorient built the original French ships around an 80-meter diesel hull with Exocet missiles, a 100 mm CADAM gun, torpedoes, and a 375 mm anti-submarine rocket launcher; later service included French counter-piracy and embargo patrols plus Argentine Drummond-class combat use in the Falklands War.

Sources

TKMS HDW Class 209Publisher: TKMS Group | Note: Official product page supporting the HDW Class 209NG redesign, mission set, combat system, flexible battery and system options, and approximate dimensions. | Accessed: 2026-07-13GlobalSecurity HDWPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports HDW's naval shipbuilding role, submarine focus, and Kiel-centered manufacturer context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13GlobalSecurity South Africa Type 209Publisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports the 209/1400 Mod export variant, German Submarine Consortium supplier context, and Kiel construction involving HDW. | Accessed: 2026-07-13USNI ARA San Luis Falklands War PatrolPublisher: U.S. Naval Institute | Note: Directly supports the Type 209 ARA San Luis patrol and torpedo attacks by Argentina during the 1982 Falklands War. | Accessed: 2026-07-13NTI German Submarine ExportsPublisher: Nuclear Threat Initiative | Note: Supports export chronology and variant-order context for early Type 209 customer classes, with NTI's stated verification caveat. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Naval News Egypt S44 LaunchPublisher: Naval News | Note: Reports TKMS press-release details for Egypt's fourth 209/1400mod launch, Egypt order timeline, recent 209/1400mod specifications, and Type 209 production context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Naval News Egypt S44 HandoverPublisher: Naval News | Note: Reports the 8 July 2021 handover of S44 as the fourth and final Egyptian 209/1400mod submarine. | Accessed: 2026-07-13DSCA Egypt UGM-84L HarpoonPublisher: Defense Security Cooperation Agency | Note: Official U.S. arms-sale notification tying UGM-84L Harpoon Block II Encapsulated submarine-launched missiles to Egypt's Type 209 submarines. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Lockheed Martin Brazil U209 Combat SystemPublisher: Lockheed Martin | Note: Official release supporting Mark 48 Mod 6AT torpedo launches from SS Tapajo, described as a U209/Tupi-class submarine, during Brazilian Navy sea trials. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Wikimedia Commons Type 209 SubmarinePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance page for a Type 209 submarine model photograph licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-13