South African defence equipment manufacturers Denel Eloptro and Avitronics could be beneficiaries of the Portuguese Navys new submarine acquisition programme.

Portugal, like South Africa, has operated three French-built Daphne-class submarines for many years now the oldest of the Lusitanian trio, the NRP Albacora, is now 36 years of age and their replacement is a top priority.

The Portuguese have operated submarines uninterruptedly since 1913 and the navy is determined not to lose this capability.

Lisbon has shortlisted two competitors, namely DCN International, of France, with its Scorpene design, and the German Submarine Consortium (GSC), with its Type 209 design basically the same as those now being built for the South African Navy (SAN).

Due to tight budgets, the Portuguese programme is only for two new submarines, with an option on a third, unlike South Africa, which is replacing its Daphnes on a one-for-one basis with new Type 209s.

(But remember that, overall, the Portuguese Navy, which has its own helicopter squadron not part of the Air Force and a 1 500-strong marine corps, is significantly larger than the SAN.) The idea is for the two new submarines to be delivered in 2009 and 2010.

A final decision has yet to be made, but Portuguese sources suggest that the GSCs Type 209 will probably be chosen.

If so, that opens the door of opportunity to State-owned Eloptro and private-sector Avitronics.

Eloptro is working with Zeiss, of Germany, not only to supply the periscopes for the three new SAN submarines, but has also won export orders from the Greek and South Korean navies, the three orders totalling ten periscopes.

Likewise, Avitronics is supplying electronic surveillance systems for the South African submarines, and these are now being offered to other potential clients by the GSC.

Again, Greece and South Korea have chosen these South African systems for their new craft.

So, should the GSC win the Portuguese contract, there is a strong chance that they could be fitted with Eloptros periscopes and Avitronics electronic surveillance systems.

Interestingly, apart from the usual submarine roles of antiship and antisubmarine operations, support of special forces, covert intelligence gathering and so on, the Portuguese Navy intends to use its planned new craft for counter-terrorism missions and combating drug-trafficking and other forms of organised crime at sea, in conjunction with other State and international agencies.

The new submarines are also expected to operate over a much larger range than the present Albacora-class, which are restricted to the North Atlantic and Mediterranean when patrolling from their home base.

The Portuguese hope that the new craft will be able to patrol to the south-west Indian Ocean (via the Cape) and to the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf (via Suez) from their home base.

According to the Portuguese Navy, the Albacora-class have a maximum submerged speed of 13 kts, while published sources give the Type 209s top submerged speed as 22 kts just over 50% greater.

Endurance of the GSC design is also believed to be some 50% greater than that of the old French craft.

Submerged range without recharging the batteries (which requires the submarine to extend a schnorkel, vulnerable to detection by radar, or, worse, surface) is believed to be more than 300%, perhaps even as much as 400%, greater in the Type 209 than in the Daphne.

These figures would be just as applicable to a comparison between the SANs Daphnes and Type 209s, and indicate the degree of increase in capability coming the SANs way when its new submarines are delivered later this decade.

With acknowledgement to Keith Campbell and Engineering News.