The Type 212CD submarines, which tkMS offers to Poland in the Orka program, are to receive a number of new weapon systems, including the 3SM Tyrfing long-range supersonic missiles.
As Giacomo Cavanna informs on the pages of the Italian website Ares Osservatorio Difesa, representatives of the German Navy have announced the expansion of the catalog of combat assets for Type 212CD submarines. These futuristic diesel-electric units are sourced by Germany and Norway.
The thyssenkrupp Marine Systems shipyard also offers them to Canada and Poland (under the Orka program). So far, six ships have been contracted to Deutsche Marine (formerly Bundesmarine) and four to Sjøforsvaret. The purchase of two more for the Norwegian Navy seems to be only a matter of time.
The announcement of the plan to integrate new types of weapons took place during the Undersea Defence Technology 2025 symposium in Oslo. Until now, it was expected that the Type 212CD (Common Design) ships would receive the German DM2A4 Seehecht heavy torpedoes used in older Type 212A vessels (SeaHake mod4 on export markets).
At the end of last year, Lars Hoffmann at the service Hartpunkt announced the launch of work on a German-Norwegian 533 mm heavy torpedo with the working name CHWT (Common Heavyweight Torpedo), which is to replace the DM2A4 in service. The 212CD will also be equipped with Norwegian NSM-SL anti-ship missiles, a new variant of the NSM1 system known in Poland.
1 Polish NSMs are launched from land-based launchers (today in the Naval Missile Unit, in the future in the Naval Missile Brigade). Over time, they will be used by naval platforms (Wicher-class frigates acquired under the Miecznik program).
Meanwhile, at the UDT in Oslo, representatives of the German Ministry of Defense and the Navy informed that this is not the end. The Type 212CD submarines will be integrated with the Black Shark Advanced heavy torpedoes manufactured by WASS, recently a subsidiary of the Fincantieri shipbuilding concern. It can be presumed that this is a nod to export users who are eager to reach for this modern Italian solution. In addition, as the maritime sector observers speculated, it has been confirmed that the 212CD will also receive a hard-kill system called SeaSpider. The Atlas Elektronik set uses miniature torpedoes with rocket propulsion (!) to combat enemy torpedoes. It will be complemented by IDAS anti-aircraft missiles, which we recently wrote about on Defence24.pl.
The heavy torpedo WASS Black Shark Advanced is being prepared for loading on board the Italian Todaro-class submarine (licensed Type 212A). This torpedo was equipped with prototype lithium-polymer batteries.
Author. Leonardo Electronics
Shot at 1000 km
The biggest novelty and surprise in the presentation was the “3SM” item. It seems that the Type 212CD ships will receive a variant of the 3SM Tyrfing supersonic missile. The primary role of this armament will be to combat enemy ships, but Tyrfing will also be able to destroy land targets. A similar possibility is available to the NSM Block 1A anti-ship missiles purchased by Poland, although due to the price of the NSM and the small size of the warhead, the cost-effect ratio of such an application is debatable. The Tyrfing system is being developed by a Norwegian-German consortium consisting of: Diehl Defence, Kongsberg and MBDA Deutschland. The integration of this combat asset on the Type 212CD units is a big surprise, as currently the Norwegian and German submarines (Type 210 and Type 212A) do not have armament of this class and with such performance.
The 3SM Tyrfing, named after a magical sword from Norse mythology, is a conceptual equivalent of the Russian P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles. Instead of a traditional solid-fuel rocket engine (as in the Kormoran, Penguin missiles or older versions of the Exocet system) or a small jet engine (see Harpoon, NSM and RBS 15), Tyrfing will receive a ramjet engine developed by Kongsberg. A similar solution was used in the P-800, whose latest variant, Oniks-M, is to have a maximum speed of about Mach 2.5 and a range of 800 km (at least according to Russian sources). The goals of the Norwegian-German consortium are similar. On the pages of the portal Naval News analyst Alex Luck reported that the maximum speed of the 3SM is expected to be Mach 2.5-3 and a range of 800 to 1000 km.
Early visualization of the Norwegian-German 3SM Tyrfing supersonic anti-ship missile. Attention is drawn to the prominent air inletand to the ramjet engine.
Author. MBDA Deutschland
Weapons of this class have a number of desirable attributes. Ramjet combines the advantages of rocket engines (maximum thrust, simplicity of design) and jet engines (regulation of thrust, no oxidizer on board). It is most efficient when flying at high speeds. The qualities that make the ramjet engine so useful in long-range air-to-air weapons are also an advantage in anti-ship and cruise missiles. The ability to choose the route and flight ceiling, as well as the high speed, make such a combat asset very difficult to intercept even for an anti-aircraft frigate or a modern air defense system. The natural stealth of an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) submarine further enhances these advantages.
Suffice it to say that the P-800 Oniks missiles fired from Russian ships are extremely difficult for Ukrainian anti-aircraft fighters. According to the available data, the effectiveness of the ZSU air defense against weapons of this class is low. It should also be emphasized that the destructive power of 300 kg of crushing material in the Oniks warhead is increased by the considerable kinetic energy with which the P-800 hits the target.
Due to its versatility, the 3SM Tyrfing can complement and eventually displace subsonic anti-ship missiles, and at the same time become a real cruise missile that is difficult to intercept. As such, it will be a serious reinforcement for the Norwegian and German navies (perhaps also for surface ships), as well as a significant advantage of the Type 212CD ships on the export market.