ARA San Juan (S-42)

Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine [ 1985 ]

ARA San Juan S-42, commissioned in November of 1985, was tragically lost in an underwater explosion on November 15th, 2017.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/22/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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Lacking the shipbuilding capabilities and know-how to produce an all-modern attack submarine, the Argentine Navy turned to boat-maker Thyssen Nordseewerke of Emden, Germany for the task. The result was the TR-1700-class of which six boats were originally planned. In the end, however, just two were completed with construction suspended on the remaining four. The two to make it out of the program were ARA Santa Cruz (S-41) and sister-ship ARA San Juan (S-42). The boats were commissioned in October of 1984 and November of 1985, respectively with both maintaining an active presence in the Argentine fleet today (2017).

ARA San Juan was completed on June 28th, 1983 and commissioned for service on November 19th, 1985. As-built, the boat displaces 2,140 tonnes when surfaced and 2,336 tonnes when submerged. Its length is 216.3 feet with a beam of 27.4 feet and a draught of 24.1 feet. Drive power is from a diesel-electric arrangement centered on four German MTU marine diesels and a single Siemens electric motor driving a single shaft astern. The boat can make headway at 15 knots when surfaced and up to 25 knots when submerged. The diesel-electric arrangement allows for the diesel units to propel the boat when it is surfaced while the electric motor supplies the needed power when the boat is submerged. Range is out to 12,000 nautical miles. The vessel can stay away from port for up to 30 days.

Onboard is a standard operating crew of 37 though this can be increased as needed. The boat carries a Thompson CSF "Calypso" radar system and the Atlas Elektronik CSU 3/4 sonar unit. Armament is 6 x 533mm (21") torpedo tubes with the launchers all mounted in the bow of the design. There are twenty-two reloads carried.

ARA San Juan has led a rather docile existence since it entered service in the mid-1980s. It received a major overhaul between 2008 to 2013 where her engines were replaced and upgraded as was her battery bank. Due to budgetary reasons, the modernization took longer than anticipated and the work was handled in Argentina, involving the complete severing of the hull to access the engines. Following the work, the boat was placed back into active service and charged primarily with policing known illegal fishing areas.©MilitaryFactory.com

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November - On November 17th, 2017, the Argentina government revealed that it had lost contact with ARA San Juan back on the November 15th. Efforts have been underway to locate and rescue the boat and crew with participation being had from multiple nations including the United States and Britain. It has been reported that there have been some communications attempted by the boat via satellite but the boat's location has yet to be pinpointed.

December 2017 - It is assumed that ARA San Juan is a tragic loss with all hands aboard. The boat has yet to be located.

November 2018 - The wreckage of ARA San Juan was located on the sea floor just over a year after it was lost. Implosion is suspected in its demise.

Specifications

Service Year

1985

Origin

Argentina

Status

LOST-IN-ACTION
No Longer in Service.

Complement

44
PERSONNEL

Class

TR-1700-class

Number-in-Class

6
VESSELS

Ships-in-Class

ARA Santa Cruz (S-41); ARA San Juan (S-42); ARA Santa Fe (S-43); ARA Santiago Del Estero (S-44); Unnamed (S-45); Unnamed (S-46)

Argentina

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Submerged Attack
Traveling under the surface to search, track, and / or engage or reconnoiter areas.

✓ Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.

✓ Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.

Length

216.3 ft
65.93 m

Beam

27.4 ft
8.35 m

Draught

24.1 ft
7.35 m

Displacement

2,360
tons

Disp.Submerged

2,575
tons

Installed Power: 4 x MTU marine diesel engines with 1 x Siemens electric motor driving 1 x Shaft astern.

Surface Speed

15.0 kts
(17.3 mph)

Submerged Speed

25.0 kts
(28.8 mph)

Range

12,001 nm
(13,810 mi | 22,225 km)

6 x 533mm (21") torpedo tubes (bow facing) with 22 torpedo reloads.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft aerial torpedo

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

None.

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