Eckernfoerde , Germany ( CNN ) -- It is almost totally silent , radiates virtually no heat and is constructed entirely from non-magnetic metals . Meet the U212A -- an ultra-advanced non-nuclear sub developed by German naval shipyard Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft , who claim it to be `` the peak of German submarine technology . '' And few would argue . The super-stealth vessel is the first of its kind to be powered by a revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell that lets it cruise the deep blue without giving off noise or exhaust heat . That 's important , because according to Bernd Arjes , a captain in the German Navy , silence keeps submariners alive . `` We operate in coastal waters around Europe and this submarine is specially designed for finding submarines . If you want to find other submarines of course you have to be quiet , '' he said . With this latest technology , he added , `` the boat is virtually undetectable . '' But being indistinguishable is not the only thing that sets the U212A apart . Unlike conventional subs , which need air to combust diesel , the fuel cell does n't require oxygen to operate . This means it can remain submerged for many weeks -- holding its breath many times longer than its gas-guzzling cousins . You 'd expect a boat like this to pack a punch , and you 'd be right . The 212A is armed with 12 heavyweight wire guided torpedoes , each capable of destroying a war ship or disabling an aircraft carrier . `` An aircraft carrier might not break with one torpedo but probably gets hit at the rudder or something . And then he probably ca n't maneuver into the wind to use his aircraft , '' said Arjes . Germany , which has no nuclear weapons or nuclear-powered ships of its own , is the world 's third largest exporter of defense goods . HDW began developing the technology for the U212A in 1994 , with the first vessels reaching market in 2003 . Export editions have already been sold to the navies of Greece , Portugal and South Korea . But sub-aquatic sailors around the world should think twice before getting too excited over this new toy . With a high degree of self-automation , the sub requires only a small crew and there is extraordinarily little in the way of creature comforts for those few on board . And so it seems that even with all this state-of-the-art technology , a submariners life still remains one of confined living quarters and shared bunks .
The U212A is an ultra-advanced non-nuclear sub developed for the German Navy . Powered by a revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell , it is almost totally silent . Without the need for combustible fuel , the sub can remain submerged for weeks at time .