German Navy’s first Type 212A submarine ‘U 31’ is in the water again after spending almost three years in the docks undergoing repairs.
As reported by the German Kieler Nachrichten , the submarine was lowered into water and brought alongside by a tug boat.
The submarine has been in the dry dock since 2014 for both modernization and repair works following the submarine’s 2013 accident off the coast of England.
The submarine was commissioned into service in 2005 and only performed one mission in the Mediterranean before sustaining damages and heading for the dry dock.
In addition to repairing the damages, submarine specialist TKMS modernized the U 31s air-independent propulsion system and upgraded its fuel cells during the overhaul.
The U 31 is the first of six vessels in its class built to replace the now decommissioned Type 206 submarines.