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.
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The U212A is an ultra-advanced non-nuclear sub developed for the German Navy
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Powered by a revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell, it is almost totally silent
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Without the need for combustible fuel, the sub can remain submerged for weeks at time
@placeholder began developing the technology for the U212A in 1994, with the first vessels reaching market in 2003.