submarines available. Of these, six were sold to Australia, three to Canada, three built at Vickers Barrow for Brazil and two to Chile. The first Brazilian boat remained in service until 1996 and the last was reported to be in service to year 2000. Plans are under discussion in 2001 to bring Olympus back to Barrow as the star exhibit in a proposed new Submarine Heritage Centre.
540 CLASS
Under a contract signed in 1972, three Type 540 medium tonnage submarines to the design of a German consortium IKL/HDW were built at Vickers Barrow for the Israeli Navy under a veil of secrecy enforced on the company in the sensitive political climate of that era. They were launched without ceremony in 1975, 1976 and 1977 and commissioned in 1977.
