Heroine - class submarine The Heroine class are a variant of the Type 209 diesel - electric attack submarine developed by Howaldtswerke - Deutsche Werft ( HDW ) of Germany , currently in service with the South African Navy . Background . 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 " Daphné " class submarines , SAS Spear , SAS Assegaai and SAS Umkhonto which were decommissioned in 2003 . The Heroine class are sometimes considered to be South Africa ' s first " true " submarines , as they were more suited to being underwater than the Daphné models . 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 . The was launched in May 2005 and commissioned in March 2007 . The third submarine , , was launched in 2006 and handed over in February 2008 . The submarines ' homeport is Simon ' s Town naval base in Cape Town . Naming . The submarines are named after powerful South African women . is named after the female warrior chief of the Batlokwa tribe . is named after the female political activist Charlotte Maxeke , who campaigned for equality in the early 20th century . is named after the South African Rain Queen . Characteristics . 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 . The Type 209 / 1400 submarine has a maximum speed of surfaced and dived . Command and control . The Atlas Elektronik ISUS 90 - 45 integrated combat information system provides navigation , automatic sensor integration and management as well as fire control functions for the submarine . 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 264 torpedo es 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 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 current 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 .