The ''Västergötland'' class of
diesel-electric submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s entered service in 1987 in the
Swedish Navy
The Swedish Navy ( sv, Svenska marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet () – as well as marine units, the Amphibious Corps ().
In Swedish, vessels o ...
allowing the last
Draken II class of subs to be retired.
History
The original four ships of the class (''Västergötland'', ''Hälsingland'', ''Södermanland'', and ''Östergötland'') were built between 1983 and 1988 by
Kockums AB
Saab Kockums AB is a shipyard headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, owned by the Swedish defence company Saab Group. Saab Kockums AB is further operational in Muskö, Docksta, and Karlskrona. While having a history of civil vessel construction, Kock ...
. The latter two have undergone comprehensive refits, including the insertion of a new hull section with an
air-independent propulsion
Air-independent propulsion (AIP), or air-independent power, is any marine propulsion technology that allows a non-nuclear submarine to operate without access to atmospheric oxygen (by surfacing or using a snorkel). AIP can augment or replace the ...
system equipped with
Stirling engines. They have been recommissioned in 2003–2004 as the new .
''Västergötland'' and ''Hälsingland'' were put in reserve until November 2005, when they were sold to the
Republic of Singapore Navy
The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is the naval service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for defending the country against any sea-borne threats, and the protection of its sea lines of communications, that would comprom ...
as the . They were refitted to ''Södermanland'' class standards and received additional climatisation for use in tropical waters, and relaunched in 2009–2010.
''Östergötland'' was decommissioned in 2021, leaving ''Södermanland'' as the last remaining ship of the class in Swedish service.
Units
See also
*
List of submarine classes in service
* - enlarged versions of ''Västergötland'' used by the
Royal Australian Navy
*
List of active Swedish Navy ships
This is a list of active ships of the Royal Swedish Navy.
Swedish Navy
The Swedish Navy is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Royal Fleet (''Kungliga flottan'') – as well a ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vastergotland Class Submarine
Naval ships of Sweden
Submarines of Sweden