1 photo

Documents

Submarine

Germany

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems

Type 209

The world's most widely exported post-war conventional submarine design, built in multiple sub-variants for more than a dozen navies across Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. A non-nuclear diesel-electric attack submarine prized for its low cost and export flexibility.

In service since 1971 · 13 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

250

m depth

11,000

nmi

1,450

crew

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

German export-licensed

BAFA licensing with strict end-use review; approvals can be politically constrained.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Established · 13 operators

In service since 1971. Status: active · ~61 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the Type 209 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

DM2A3 heavyweight torpedo

UGM-84 Harpoon (select operators)

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Torpedo tubes Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships).: 8

Stronger than 88% of submarines

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 61.2 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes, the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.: 1,450 t
Submerged speed Maximum speed while submerged (submarines). Higher is faster underwater.: 22 kn

Stronger than 56% of submarines
Range Cruising range in nautical miles. Nuclear vessels are effectively unlimited (fuel-wise). Higher means more reach without replenishment.: 11,000 nmi

Stronger than 72% of submarines
Test depth Maximum rated diving depth (submarines). Deeper is harder to detect and engage. Actual crush depth is classified.: 250 m

Stronger than 26% of submarines
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.: 36
Propulsion plant Machinery type, nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.: Diesel-electric

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 61

Top 8% of submarines
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 13

Top 2% of submarines

Specifications compiled from public ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

Compare with rivals