Orque-class submarine

Class overview
Builders:	Maripoli Shipbuilding Maripoli Naval Arsenal
Operators:	Royal Salisfordian Navy
Built:	1986-present
In commission:	1988-present
On order:	4
Building:	2
Completed:	18
Active:	16
Laid up:	2
General characteristics
Type:	Attack submarine
Displacement:	8,500 tons
Length:	365 feet (111 m)
Beam:	45 feet (14 m)
Draught:	32 feet (9.8 m)
Propulsion:	Diesel-electric propulsion 2 × 1000 kW Diesel generators 1 × 7,800 shp (5,800 kW) Propulsion motor 2 × Stirling AIP units 1 × 7 bladed propeller
Speed:	Surfaced: 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) Submerged: 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) on batteries; 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) on AIP
Endurance:	75 days
Test depth:	Operational: 750 feet (230 m) Maximum: 950 feet (290 m)
Complement:	72
Sensors and processing systems:	Active/passive sonar suite Towed sonar array Flank arrays Mine detection sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	ECM suite Noise simulation decoys Sonar intercept receiver IFF
Armament:	6 x torpedo tubes (36 torpedos) 1 x MANPAD (surface use only) Cruise missiles

The Orque class (literally, Orca) are a series of diesel-electric fast attack submarines designed and built by the Kingdom of Salisford for the Royal Salisfordian Navy. The Orque-class was intended to be a multi-mission capable replacement previous classes, and the Orque-class now forms the bulk of Salisford's submarine fleet.

The Orque-class was the first Salisfordian submarine class to be equipped with Air-independent propulsion (AIP), which extends their underwater endurance from days to weeks.

Design

The design of the Orque-class has a lighter exterior hull and an inner pressure hull. This allows more freedom for the exterior shape and grants a larger pool of reserve buoyancy.

The distinctive bulb or "can" on the Orque-class's tail contains the towed sonar array when it is retracted. Orque-class submarines are fitted with a wake detection system and hydrodynamic sensors which detect changes in the underwater environment. The Orque-class is also equipped with the normal suite of hydrophone and sonar arrays found on Salisfordian submarines.

The Orque-class has a specially designed Air-Independent Propulsion (Salisfordian: Propulsione Indipendente dall'Aria) system which allows the submarines to operate without atmospheric oxygen. This is meant to augment the traditional diesel-electric engines which are run when stealth is not needed or during surface transit. The AIP system makes the Orque-class virtually silent, meaning it is considerably harder to detect than comparable diesel-electric submarines. The specific AIP system the Orque-class uses is based on the stirling engine which uses a gradient of heat to turn heat energy into mechanical work, this is used in the submarine to turn the propeller shaft and to create electrical power.

The Orque-class has six torpedo tubes. These tubes can fire wake-homing, passive, or wire-guided torpedoes and both anti-surface or anti-submarine missiles. Proposed overhauls to the Orque-class will add the capability to fire cruise-missiles.

Units

#	Name	Builders	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fleet	Status
O-1	Orque	Maripoli Shipbuilding	11 November 1986	27 June 1987	30 August 1988	Dry-dock Command	Laid up for overhaul since 2020
O-2	Basso	Maripoli Shipbuilding	28 January 1987	3 May 1988	17 September 1988	Submarine Command	Active [Note to author: EARMARKED]
O-3	Pesce	Maripoli Shipbuilding	28 January 1987	13 June 1988	29 September 1988	Dry-dock Command	Laid up for overhaul since 2021
O-4	Delfino	Maripoli Shipbuilding	28 January 1987	31 July 1988	2 October 1988	Submarine Command	Active
O-5	Salmone	Maripoli Shipbuilding	17 December 1989	9 June 1990	25 November 1991	Submarine Command	Active
O-6	Tonno	Maripoli Shipbuilding	17 December 1989	23 October 1990	12 February 1992	Submarine Command	Active
O-7	Squalo	Maripoli Shipbuilding	17 December 1992	24 November 1990	15 March 1992	Submarine Command	Active
O-8	Anguilla	Maripoli Naval Arsenal	23 March 1993	14 March 1995	22 September 1996	Submarine Command	Active
O-9	Perla	Maripoli Naval Arsenal	23 March 1993	29 April 1995	16 January 1997	Submarine Command	Active
O-10	Flutto	Maripoli Naval Arsenal	23 March 1993	14 January 1996	5 May 1997	Submarine Command	Active
O-11	Palamita	Maripoli Naval Arsenal	18 April 1998	3 March 1999	19 January 2003	Submarine Command	Active
O-12	Scorfano	Maripoli Naval Arsenal	18 April 1998	12 March 1999	28 January 2003	Submarine Command	Active
O-13	Sarda	Maripoli Naval Arsenal	18 April 1998	21 January 2000	5 March 2003	Submarine Command	Active
O-14	Razza	Maripoli Shipbuilding	19 February 2006	19 March 2008	18 June 2010	Submarine Command	Active
O-15	Cernia	Maripoli Shipbuilding	19 February 2006	6 May 2008	15 September 2010	Submarine Command	Active
O-16	Alici	Maripoli Shipbuilding	19 February 2006	1 August 2008	11 February 2011	Submarine Command	Active
O-17	Orata	Maripoli Shipbuilding	2 June 2013	23 April 2015	29 July 2017	Submarine Command	Active
O-18	Merluzzo	Maripoli Shipbuilding	2 June 2013	27 August 2015	17 March 2018	Submarine Command	Active
O-19	Polpo	Maripoli Shipbuilding	2 June 2013	30 May 2016	14 November 2018	Submarine Command	Active
O-20	Sirena	Maripoli Shipbuilding	18 November 2019				Under construction
O-21	Lido	Maripoli Shipbuilding	18 November 2019				Under construction
O-22		Maripoli Shipbuilding	18 November 2019				Cancelled
O-23		Maripoli Shipbuilding	5 October 2020				On order
O-24		Maripoli Shipbuilding	5 October 2020				On order
O-25		Maripoli Shipbuilding	5 October 2020				On order
O-26		Maripoli Shipbuilding	5 October 2020				On order

See also

• Royal Salisfordian Navy