Walrus class submarines

The Walrus class of the Royal Navy are diesel-electric submarines. These Dutch-built submarines are unique in their performance. They are ‘expeditionary’, which means that they are able to carry out unprecedented long missions, far from home, autonomously and independently. The Walrus class submarines are large enough for a long deployment period, but relatively small compared to, for example, nuclear submarines. This also makes them suitable for operations in shallow coastal waters. They are internationally recognized as the best in their category of submarines. During a 1999 exercise in which the navies of a number of countries participated, the Walrus performed well. Nine ships, including the American aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, were “sunk”. The submarine managed to escape unnoticed.