Peruvian sub at Naval Station Norfolk

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - The Peruvian submarine BAP Angamos (SS-31) pulled into Hampton Roads on Thursday for a port visit to Naval Station Norfolk.

The ship and crew are visiting East Coast ports as they participate in the Navy's Diesel Electric Submarine Initiative (DESI) training program.

"The relationship that the United States Navy has with the Peruvian Navy is very important," said Captain Frank Cattani, Commanding Officer, Submarine Squadron 8, upon the arrival of the Angamos in Norfolk.

Initiated in 2001, the DESI program is a training partnership of submarines from South American navies with the U.S. fleet. The Navy says the participation of South America's silent and lethal diesel-electric submarines in fleet training and certification provides the opportunity to practice and improve American Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) skills.

Commissioned in 1980, the Angamos is a German built type 209 submarine. It contains four diesel engines used to charge four 120 cell batteries which run the AEG electric motor. It is the quiet electric motor that allows Angamos to glide silently though the water virtually undetected.

"The diesel's only for recharge the batteries," said Captain de Fragata Luis Del Carpio, Commanding Officer BAP Angamos.  "We use for move the ship only the electrical power so the submarine is very quiet."

That 'quiet' makes the Angamos a worthy adversary for the U.S. Navy in the DESI exercise testing both nation's anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

"They operate their submarines very well," said Cattani, "and they're vital to our efforts to prepare our crews to do forward deployed missions against submarines of similar capabilities."

By playing the role of an opposing force, the crew of the Angamos has the opportunity to benefit from what their Captain refers to as 'high-level training.'

"A lot of ships, a lot of aircraft, also nuclear submarine," said Del Carpio.

The Angamos recently completed another DESI stop at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., in June.