Shallow Water Combat Submersible vs Type 212CD submarine

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Shallow Water Combat Submersible — licensed reference photograph

ASubmarines

Shallow Water Combat Submersible

Submersible , diver propulsion vehicle

Credit

CAPT Kate Dollof · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

BSubmarines

Type 212CD submarine

Attack submarine

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Shallow Water Combat SubmersibleLength

6.8 m

Length source ↗

Type 212CD submarineLength

73 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Shallow Water Combat Submersiblelarger figure on 0 of 2

None

Type 212CD submarinelarger figure on 2 of 2

Length+974%
Beam+567%

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

17 of 26 rows sourced on both sides

6.8m

73m

Length+974%

All recorded figures & sources

6.8 m

Length

Single source

6.8 meters (22 ft)^[source]

73 m

Length

Single source

Configuration

Details

Shallow Water Combat Submersible and Type 212CD submarine configuration
Specification	Shallow Water Combat Submersible	Type 212CD submarine
Builders	Teledyne Brown Engineering^[source]	TKMS , Kiel and Wismar^[source]
Operators	United States Navy Royal Navy (planned)^[source]	Royal Norwegian Navy German Navy Royal Canadian Navy^[source]
Preceded by	SEAL Delivery Vehicle^[source]	Ula class (Norway) Type 212A (Germany) Victoria -class (Canada)^[source]
Cost	$383 million (program cost)^[source]

On order	7 USN, 3 RN^[source]	Total: 12 Germany: 6 Norway: 6^[source]

Building	2^[source]	2^[source]

Completed	2^[source]	—

Type	Submersible , diver propulsion vehicle^[source]	Attack submarine^[source]

Propulsion	Lithium-ion batteries powering electric motors^[source]	Diesel-electric / AIP / battery Diesel engines: 2 MTU 4000 New 4th gen AIP PEM fuel cells (HDW) Lithium battery^[source]

Test depth	>190 feet (58 m)^[source]	—

Sensors & processing systems	Inertial navigation system , high-frequency sonar for obstacle/mine avoidance and navigation, GPS^[source]	Combat system: ORCCA supplied by kta naval systems (consortium TKMS , Atlas Elektronik , Kongsberg ) Sonars: Combat sonar suite: not defined yet Mine avoidance and navigation: Kongsberg SA9510S MkII Sea bed navigation: EM2040 Mil and EA640 echosounders Optical sensors: Hensoldt OMS 150 and OMS 300 optronics masts Hensoldt i360°OS panoramic surveillance system Radar: Indra Sistemas navigation radar^[source]

Armament	SEAL team personal weapons, limpet mines^[source]	Up to 14 torpedoes, missiles and drones Torpedoes: 6 × 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes CHWT (Common Heavy Weight Torpedo) , a successor to the DM2A4 Hake heavy torpedoes , also known as DM2A5 Seaspider anti-torpedo torpedo Missiles: Anti-air / anti light vessel: IDAS Under consideration: NSM-SL , 3SM Tyrfing Unmanned underwater vehicle: IAI BlueWhale potentially^[source]

Country of origin	United States^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 5, cell 2; revision 1373375989; retrieved 2026-09-30	Germany^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 4, row 3, cell 3; revision 1364801796; retrieved 2026-10-02

Planned	—	Total: 24 to 27 Norway: 6 Germany: 6 to 9 Canada: 12^[source]

Electronic warfare & decoys	—	Indra Sistemas digital EW systems^[source]

Role	—	submarine class^[source]

National origin	—	Germany^[source]

Source measurement	—	The submarines will feature 6 standard torpedo tubes (533 mm (21.0 in)) . They are designed to deploy several types of weapons. In terms of torpedoes, a new generation of heavyweight torpedoes is in development DM2A5 (aka CHWT), and an anti-torpedo torpedo is in development, known as the Seaspider. In terms of missiles, it is likely that anti-ship missiles will be launched from the submarine ( NSM-SL , 3SM Tyrfing ). And an anti-air and anti light vessel missile is in development, derived from the IRIS-T missile , the IDAS .^[source]Type 212CD submarine · Submarine design / Weapons; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage The Type 212CD was in competition with the pair Saab Kockums / Damen with a Blekinge derivative submarine and with Naval Group who proposed the Orka-class . TKMS had offered an expeditionary variant of the Type 212CD submarine to the Netherlands; the Type 212CD E. This variant has a surface displacement of c. 3,100 tons and a submerged displacement of c. 3,450 tons. In addition, the boat has a length of more than 80 meters. Naval Group won the competition in April 2024 and should build 4 ships if approved by the parliament.^[source]Type 212CD submarine · Operators / Failed bids; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

Source measurement

—

The submarines will feature 6 standard torpedo tubes (533 mm (21.0 in)) . They are designed to deploy several types of weapons. In terms of torpedoes, a new generation of heavyweight torpedoes is in development DM2A5 (aka CHWT), and an anti-torpedo torpedo is in development, known as the Seaspider. In terms of missiles, it is likely that anti-ship missiles will be launched from the submarine ( NSM-SL , 3SM Tyrfing ). And an anti-air and anti light vessel missile is in development, derived from the IRIS-T missile , the IDAS .^[source]Type 212CD submarine · Submarine design / Weapons; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage

The Type 212CD was in competition with the pair Saab Kockums / Damen with a Blekinge derivative submarine and with Naval Group who proposed the Orka-class . TKMS had offered an expeditionary variant of the Type 212CD submarine to the Netherlands; the Type 212CD E. This variant has a surface displacement of c. 3,100 tons and a submerged displacement of c. 3,450 tons. In addition, the boat has a length of more than 80 meters. Naval Group won the competition in April 2024 and should build 4 ships if approved by the parliament.^[source]Type 212CD submarine · Operators / Failed bids; only the objects and conditions stated in this passage