O'Higgins
History
Chile
Name O'Higgins
Namesake Bernardo O'Higgins
Ordered 1997[ 1]
Builder DCNS Cherbourg & Navantia , Cartagena
Launched November 2003[ 1]
Commissioned September 2005[ 1]
Homeport Talcahuano
Status Active
General characteristics
Class and type Scorpène -class submarine
Displacement
1,525 long tons (1,549 t ) surfaced
1,668 long tons (1,695 t) submerged
Length 66.4 m (217 ft 10 in)
Beam 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in)
Draft 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
Installed power Diesel 3005 kW
Electric 3810 kW
Propulsion Mechanical: 4 diesel engines
Electric: 1 main electric motor
1 propeller
Speed
12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph) submerged
Range 12,000 km (7,500 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
Complement 31
Sensors and processing systems
Long-range passive
Intercept
Active sonar
Armament 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes for 18 Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes and 4 SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles and 30 mines in place of torpedoes
O'Higgins (SS-23) is a Scorpène-class submarine built for the Chilean Navy by DCNS in Cherbourg and Navantia in Cartagena, Spain .
O'Higgins is the first of two units, ahead of Carrera built to replace the old Oberon -class submarines that served in the Chilean Navy for 30 years. It is currently serving in the Submarine Force with a base port in Talcahuano .
References