The Kiel shipyard Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in northern Germany is handing over the second of four submarines to Singapore.
Passers-by in the harbour were able to watch as the 70-metre boat was loaded onto a special ship. The Invincible is to be transported to Singapore using the Rolldock Star. A TKMS spokesman did not comment on this when asked.
In April, the last of four submarines was christened Inimitable at a ceremony at the Kiel shipyard in the presence of German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Singapore's former deputy prime minister and current Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean.
"Singapore is an important partner for us in security policy and our cooperation is not limited to defence cooperation," Pistorius said.
A large proportion of world trade passes through the Straits of Singapore in South East Asia.
The four Invincible-class boats for Singapore are 70 metres long and are among the largest submarines to have been built in Germany since World War II. They have an air-independent fuel cell propulsion system. They are designed for a crew of 28 people.
The total value of the defence contract is likely to be in the billion-euro range.
