Type 206-class

The Type 206 is a class of diesel-electric submarines developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) based on the design of the preceding Type 205. Designed by Ingenieur Kontor Lübeck (IKL) between 1964 and 1965, the class entered production in 1969. A total of 18 vessels were constructed for the West German Navy, with eight built by HDW in Kiel and ten by Nordseewerke in Emden.

The class was designed for operations in the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea. The pressure hulls were constructed from a non-magnetic, high-strength, austenitic steel. This material was selected to overcome stress corrosion cracking issues identified in earlier classes and to provide a low magnetic signature against naval mines and Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) sensors. Between 1987 and 1992, twelve units were modernized to the Type 206A standard. This refit included the installation of the STN Atlas DBQS-21D sonar, new periscopes, the LEWA weapon control system, and GPS navigation. The modernization also replaced the electronic support measures (ESM) system and refurbished the propulsion units.

The German Navy operated the class from 1973 until 2011. Decommissioning of the vessels began in the 1990s as the Type 212 entered service, and the final six units were retired in 2010. One unit, U17, is preserved as a museum ship at the Technik Museum Sinsheim.

International variants and exports include the Gal-class, a modified version built in the United Kingdom for the Israeli Navy during the 1970s. In 1997, the Indonesian Navy initiated a plan to acquire five Type 206 submarines, but the program was cancelled in 1998. The Colombian National Navy acquired four decommissioned Type 206A boats from Germany. Two of these, renamed ARC Intrépido and ARC Indomable, entered active service in December 2015 following refits. The remaining two Colombian hulls were utilized for spare parts.