Fact: Sweden has some of the best submarines on earth
Sweden has some truly amazing submarines: Last week we were at 19FortyFive published an article assess the Finnish fleetwhich, among other things, pointed out that the Merivo food lacks submarines which in turn means that it will be up to Sweden’s navy – officially known as Swedish Navy – to provide the Scandinavian component of a NATO submersible response to Russian maritime aggression in the Baltic Sea. No wonder then that Merivo food chose to join forces with their Swedish Navy equivalents of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training exercises this past April. Meanwhile, given past history Soviet submarine intervention into Swedish territorial waters, Sweden’s sailors certainly have more than sufficient motivation to maintain a robust submarine fleet of their own.
Brief history and organization of the Swedish submarine fleet
This year happens to mark 500th anniversary of the Swedish navy, with its roots going back to the reign of King Gustav Vasa. The Swedish submarine fleet in particular was born on 30 August 1914 – right on the heels of the kick-start of World War I, although Sweden remained neutral for the duration of that conflict – with the launch of HSwMS Swordfish (Swordfish).
It could probably be said that the Swedish submarine fleet entered the modern era in 1957. As noted by submarine expert Mr. HI Sutton“Today, Sweden is known for its AIP (Air independent power) submarines. Nevertheless, Sweden was one of the first countries to pursue a nuclear-powered submarine, beginning development in 1957… The nuclear-powered A-11A concept was abandoned in 1962 due to a number of factors, including political pressure and growing skepticism about nuclear technology (and especially nuclear weapons).”
Long story short, although the A-11A nuke sub concept fell through, it paved the way for the A-11B diesel-electric boats, which entered Swedish Navy the service which The sea serpent class of 1968 and served until 1997, when they were sold to Singapore.
Today, according to The Armed Forces (Swedish Defense Forces) official website“The Swedish Defense Forces’ submarines and their crews are gathered at the First Submarine Flotilla in Charlemagne. The submarines are high-tech. Using sonar systems and other advanced equipment, they can monitor large areas of ocean above and below the surface. The submarines are therefore effective in gathering intelligence during operations at sea. Powerful torpedoes mean that the submarines can also defend themselves against both battleships and other submarines…“
The First Submarine Flotilla – currently commanded by Captain Fredrik Lindén – has a total of five diesel-electric boats. The subs were built by Saab’s Kockums AB shipyard, whose online company literature proclaims that their Stirling engines result in “the world’s quietest submarine.” The following paragraphs will show that there is at least partial validity to this.
Gotland (A19) Class submarine: The Pride of Sweden
Three of these five Swedish subs belong to this class: HSwMS Gotland, Hallandand Hinterland, all commissioned in 1996. These warships displace 1,494 tons on the surface and 1,599 tons underwater, with a current hull length of 60.4 meters (198 ft 2 in) – this will be extended to 62.4 m (204 ft 9 in ) after their pending mid-life upgrade (MLU) – a beam width of 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) and a draft of 5.6 meters (18 ft 4 in). Surface speed is 11 knots (20 km/h), surface; an underwater speed of 20 knots on batteries and 5 knots on AIP. The crew is 24-32.
Armament consists of four 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes for Torped 613 or Torpedo 62 heavyweight torpedoes and two 400 mm (15.75 in) tubes for Torped 43 or Torpedo 45/47 lightweight torpedoes. There is also the possibility of 48 sea mines.
As for the aforementioned “world’s quietest submarine” claim, well, you’re definitely not going to get any arguments from the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). Back in 2004leased the US Navy Gotland for ASW exercises … and the upstart Swedish submarine did not just “sink”. Nimitz-class carrier during a simulated attack but repeated the feat several times!
Södermanland (A17S) Class Submarine
This class accounts for the remaining two ships of the First Submarine Flotilla: HSwMS Södermanland and Östergötland, was commissioned in 1989 and 1990 respective. The two boats already underwent an extensive modernization program in 2003 and 2004. Not content to rest on their laurels, earlier this month the Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) engaged Saab to modernize the country’s HSwMS Södermanland; according to Joe Saballa of The defense post“Valued at 470 million Swedish kronor ($44 million), the contract will see the company replace or integrate new components to extend the life of the vessel … The submarine will receive about 50 modifications to improve its capabilities and continue to operate for another six years… The contract would also mean that Saab would replace the batteries in the Swedish Navy’s submarine fleet to ensure the fleet’s long-term sustainment.”
The Södermanland-class boats have the same speed capability as Götland class while displacing 100 fewer tons and having roughly the same hull length and 24-sailor crew complement. In contrast to Gotlands‘ armament, the Södermanland has an additional 400 mm torpedo tube.
The future: Blekinge (A26) class submarine
These are intended substitutes for Södermanland class, with HSwMS Blekinge and Skåne expected to be delivered in 2027 and 2028, respectively; only the former vessel has been decommissioned so far, having taken place in late June. According to Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), “The A26 ships will also have a large bow section from which unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) can be launched and special forces can be transported. In addition, this section can be used for reconnaissance, mine detection, minelaying, underwater mapping and warfare. Currently, Kockums is investigating several ways to improve communications with shore control without giving up the submarine’s position, including the possible use of UUVs for communications purposes or new antennas on the submarine.”
In short, the Swedish First Submarine Flotilla is a small but formidable force; considering what they could accomplish against a state of the art USN ship just imagine the havoc they could wreak Russian Navy.
Christian D. Orr is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments working in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an MA in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from the American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch and Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security. Last but not least, he is a companion of the Order Naval Order of the United States (NOUS). In his free time he enjoys shooting, dining out, cigars, Irish and British pubs, travel, USC Trojans college football and professional sports in Washington DC.