German submarine U-31 (S181)

U-31 (S181) is a Type 212A submarine of the German Navy, and the lead ship of her class.

History
Germany
NameU-31
Builder
Launched20 March 2002
Commissioned19 October 2005
Statusin service.
Class and typeType 212A
General characteristics
Class and typeType 212
Typesubmarine
Displacement
  • 1,450 tonnes (1,430 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,830 tonnes (1,800 long tons) submerged
Length
  • 56 m (183.7 ft)
  • 57.2 m (187.66 ft) (2nd batch)
Beam7 m (22.96 ft)
Draft6 m (19.68 ft)
Installed power1 x MTU-396 16V (2,150 kW); 1 x Siemens Permasyn electric motor Type FR6439-3900KW (2,850 kW)
Propulsion
  • 1 MTU 16V 396 diesel-engine
  • 9 HDW/Siemens PEM fuel cells, 30–40 kW each (U31)
  • 2 HDW/Siemens PEM fuel cells each with 120 kW (U32, U33, U34)
  • 1 Siemens Permasyn electric motor 1700 kW, driving a single seven-bladed skewback propeller
Speed20 knots (37 km/h) submerged, 12 knots surfaced
Range
  • 8,000 nmi (14,800 km, or 9,196 miles) at 8 knots (15 km/h) surfaced
  • 3 weeks without snorkeling, 12 weeks overall
EnduranceSurface 14,800 km at 15 km/h, Subsurface 780 km at 15 km/h, 3,000 nmi at 4 kn,
Test depthover 700 m (2,296 ft)
Complement5 officers, 22 men
Sensors and
processing systems
CSU 90 (DBQS-40FTC), Sonar: ISUS90-20, Radar: Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 I-band nav.,
Electronic warfare
& decoys
EADS FL 1800U suite
Armament6 x 533 mm torpedo tubes (in 2 forward pointing groups of 3) with 13 DM2A4, A184 Mod.3, Black Shark Torpedo, IDAS missiles and 24 external naval mines (optional)

U-31 was built by TKMS, with construction taking place at the shipyards of Thyssen Nordseewerke of Emden and Howaldtswerke at Kiel. Launched on 20 March 2002, U-31 was commissioned alongside her sister ship U-32 by German Minister of Defence Peter Struck in Eckernförde on 19 October 2005. U-31 is propelled by one diesel engine and an electric motor driven by nine fuel cells, making the submarine virtually undetectable.

Korvettenkapitän Bert Petzold is the submarine's commanding officer.

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