Heroine-class submarine

South Africa placed a contract for three Type 209 1400-Mod submarines in July 2000 on Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) and Thyssen Nordseewerke. The Type 209 1400-Mod boats displace 1,450t surfaced and 1,600t dived. The Type 209 1400-Mod submarines replace the French-built s, , and which were decommissioned in 2003. The first submarine, , was built by Howaldtswerke at Kiel. It was launched in June 2004 and commissioned in November 2005. The second and third submarines were built by Thyssen Nordseewerke in Emden. was launched in May 2005 As of March 2021, the contracting phase had still not been initiated and no dates had been announced for any upgrades of the submarines. In August 2021 it was reported that Charlotte Maxeke was being refitted at the Armscor Dockyard. Funding in the amount of R189 million had reportedly been made available to ensure the completion of the refit during the 2023/24 financial year. Funding for the refit of Queen Modjadji was not available, though the reported focus of the Navy was to prioritise essential maintenance and repair of SAS Manthatisi (which had been last refitted during 2013/14) to ensure "expedited operational availability." As of April 2023, Manthatisi had completed a Docking and Essential Defect (DED) maintenance period and was undergoing post-maintenance trials. Queen Modjadji was undergoing preservation and pre-refit planning activities, in preparation for a refit. Naming The submarines are named after powerful South African women. Manthatisi is named after the female warrior chief of the Batlokwa tribe. Charlotte Maxeke is named after the female political activist Charlotte Maxeke, who campaigned for equality in the early 20th century. Queen Modjadji is named after the South African Rain Queen. ==Submarines in class==

Performance The submarine has a crew of 30. The hull has a length of 62m, breadth of 7.6m and height of 5.8m. It has an approximate maximum diving depth of 500 meters. Weapons There are eight 533 mm bow torpedo tubes and the submarine can carry up to 14 torpedoes. The SA Navy have acquired Atlas Elektronik SUT torpedoes for these submarines. Sensors Optical The submarine is fitted with two periscopes, a conventional, hull-penetrating SERO 400 attack periscope and a non-hull-penetrating OMS 100 optronic mast (search periscope), both supplied by Carl Zeiss (now Cassidian) Optronics. The OMS-100 mast integrates an optronic sensor with a high-definition resolution colour TV camera and third generation thermal imager. The cameras are gyroscopically stabilised in elevation and azimuth. The sensor assembly is installed in a retractable unit outside the pressure hull of the submarine. The observation and operation of the mast are controlled on a console. The optronics mast system contains fully automatic functions for very fast surveillance and observation so the period of mast exposure above the surface is extremely short. Radar The surface search radar operates at I-band. Sonar The Atlas Elektronik CSU 90 sonar suite includes hull-mounted passive and active search-and-attack, flank array and active intercept sonar arrays, as well as an own noise monitoring system. South Africa did not exercise the option of purchasing a 'clip-on' towed array sonar based on advice from existing users that the system is clumsy and would prove impractical in South Africa's envisaged operational context. ESM/ELINT The submarine is equipped with a Saab Grintek Avionics UME-100 ESM/Designated ELINT system. The antennae for the system are integrated into the mastheads of both the SERO 400 and OMS-100 periscopes. The submarine's ELINT electronic intelligence system is the Saab S/UME-100 tactical electronic support measures which provides electronic intelligence analysis and amplitude direction finding capability. The S/UME-100 comprises the ESM antenna, the radar warning receiver antenna, a signal distribution unit and an electronic warfare controller. The S/UME-100 tactical ESM antennas interface to the optronics mast and attack periscope. Countermeasures It is believed that the submarines are fitted with the CIRCE torpedo counter-measure ejector system. Propulsion The submarines are fitted with a diesel electric propulsion system based on four MTU 12V 396 diesel engines delivering 2.8MW, with four alternators and one Siemens 3.7MW motor, driving a single shaft. ==Allegations of bribery==

In 2008, the Sunday Times reported that Ferrostaal allegedly gave former president Thabo Mbeki R30 million in bribes, some of which was allegedly shared with former president Jacob Zuma. An internal audit of Ferrostaal by American-based law firm Debevoise and Plimpton, who was hired after the German Public Prosecutions Authority arrested of one of its board members in 2010, reportedly places the amount paid in bribes at R300 million, or over $40 million. The report was not publicly released, but Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that it had obtained a copy. ==Service history==

The submarines of the Heroine class are primarily used to patrol and detect illegal fishermen in the territorial waters of South Africa. In August 2025, the Indian Navy undertook the Rescue Seat Certification of SAS Manthatisi. This follows the "rescue cooperation pact" signed between Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and South African Navy Chief Vice Admiral Monde Lobese on 3 September 2024 which allows India to deploy its Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) for assistance in case a South African Navy Submarine experiences an emergency. An Indian Navy team visited Simon's Town and held talks with multiple talks South African stakeholders before the certification. ==See also==