Moray-class submarine
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Moray class |
| Builders | Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij, Rotterdam |
| Preceded by | Zwaardvis class |
| Cost | ƒ220 million per unit (1989)[1] |
| Planned | 2[2] |
| Canceled | 2[2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in)[3] |
| Draft | 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)[3] |
| Endurance | 65 days[4] |
| Test depth | >300 m (980 ft) |
| Crew | 26 to 41 |
| Armament | 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes |
Moray[a] was the name of a proposed new class of submarines developed by the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM).[5][6] While a Moray class submarine was never actually built, the detailed design of the submarine class was fully completed.[7]
Electric Moray 1800
A Moray-class submarine could be built in several sizes depending on the type of submarine that was needed.[8] For smaller submarines that would patrol off the coast, there was a design that ranged from 1,100 tons to 1,400 tons displacement, whereas oceangoing submarines ranged from 1,800 tons to potentially 2,000 tons displacement.[9][10] Besides customization, RDM also offered three standard types of Moray-class submarines which were called the 1100, 1400 and 1800.[11] The number stood for roughly the amount of tonnage of the submarine. The three types had a length of 55.7 meters (182 ft 9 in) (1100), 64 m (210 ft 0 in) (1400) and 75.9 m (249 ft 0 in) (1800), while the beam was 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in) and the draft 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in).[citation needed] The smallest submarine, the 1100, had space for a crew of 26.[12] The 1800 had space for a crew of 41.[1]
While the Moray class was derived from the Walrus class, it had several differences with that class.[13][6] The main difference was that the size of a Moray-class submarine was significantly smaller than a submarine of the Walrus class, which displaced around 2,800 tons.[14][15] Another difference was that the hull of the Moray class was, unlike both the Zwaardvis and Walrus-class submarines, not in the shape of a tear drop.[1] The more straight-lined hull of the Moray class made it possible to extend or shorten the submarine.[2] It also allowed the insertion of a hull section that included an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system.[2] The insertion of the AIP module would increase the tonnage of the submarine by 200 tons.[4] A submarine of the Moray class could also dive less deep than a Walrus-class submarine.[16] The Moray-class submarines had an estimated diving depth of more than 300 m (980 ft).[1][11] The Moray 1800 had the same amount of battery cells as the Walrus-class submarines and an endurance of 65 days.[4] When it comes to armaments, the Moray class was equipped with six 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes that could launch a variety of weapons, such as Mark 48 torpedoes and Harpoon missiles.[3]
The price of a Moray-class submarine was estimated to cost around 220 million Dutch guilders in 1989.[1]
In June 2018, a concept of a fully electric submarine based on the Moray 1800 design was presented at the submarine symposium UDT in Glasgow.[17] In the revealed concept, the diesel engines and all related equipment were removed from the Moray 1800 design together with the lead-acid batteries; these components were instead replaced with lithium batteries.[18][17] The lithium batteries allowed the 1,800-ton submarine to stay at sea for three weeks before needing to return to recharge its batteries.[18] In addition, there were several advantages and disadvantages to using only lithium batteries to power a submarine.[17]