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.

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 60% 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.

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