In news out of Chile, the country’s very professional (if somewhat outdated) navy has been keeping tabs on a foreign fishing fleet of 8 large trawlers crossing through the Juan Fernández Archipelago National Park and then into the Strait of Magellan to make sure they don’t illegally drop nets or lines in Chile’s EEZ.
While aerial observation occurred– conducted by AS365 Dauphin 2s, at least one submarine kept an eye on the Chinese fishing fleet as well, a great example of how modern sea power is meshing with roaming international IUU concerns.
These images were released by the Chilean Navy on 16 December, as part of Operación de Fiscalización Pesquera Oceánica (OFPO) (and you know how much of a sucker I am for periscope shots!):
The submarine looks to be a French-made Scorpène-class SSK, two of which — Carrera (SS-22) and O’Higgins (SS-23)— were delivered in 2005-06. The country’s fleet also runs an older pair of German HDW-made Type 209-1400s– Thomson (SS-20) and Simpson (SS-21)— which were delivered in the early 1980s during tensions with Argentina and today serve more of a training role.
While the Chileans aren’t saying, odds are the above images show Carrera, who just returned on 22 December to her homeport at Talcahuano following four months in San Diego as an OPFOR in the 2023 Diesel-Electric Submarine Initiative (DESI) and would have been transiting the area just in time to give a good flex. DESI 2023 saw the Colombian Navy submarine ARC Pijao’s deployment (the country’s 13th DESI) at Naval Station Mayport, Florida for training with Atlantic forces while Carrera did the same on the West Coast under the control of Submarine Squadron 11. This was Chile’s 10th DESI deployment since the program was established in 2001.
Submarine “Carrera” returned to Chile after participating in the DESI 2023 exercise (PHOTO: Chilean Navy)
Chile has been in the submarine biz since 1917.
For reference, before their current boats, the Chileans ran a pair of British-built Oberon-class submarines (O’Brien and Hyatt) for three decades.
Going even further back, Santiago picked up two non-GUPPY Snorkel conversion Balao-class boats– USS Spot (SS-413)/Simpson and USS Springer (SS-414)/Thomson in 1962.
They began their submarine arm with a six-pack of American-built British Holland 602/H-class-class boats put into service starting in 1917 as the Guacolda-class followed by three Odin class boats (Almirante Simpson, Capitan O’Brien, Capitan Thompson) in 1928.
Chile Guacolda class H-class submarines Holland 602, via Jane’s 1946