HSwMS ''Härnösand'' (K33) is the third ship of the s ordered by the Swedish Government and built by

Kockums Saab Kockums AB is a shipyard headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, owned by the Swedish defence company Saab AB. Saab Kockums AB is further operational in Muskö, Docksta, and Karlskrona. While having a history of civil vessel construction, Kocku ...

. The Härnösand is designed for mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare.

Design and description

HSwMS ''Härnösand'' is the third ship of the s. It was built by

at the

Karlskrona naval base The Karlskrona naval base () is the largest naval base of the Swedish Navy. Located in Blekinge in southern Sweden, the base has close ties with the city of Karlskrona. It has an exceptionally well-sheltered location: arcs of islands provide a ...

, and was the first of four vessels of the class which are designed for coastal warfare. The hull of the vessel is made of

carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers ( Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon comp ...

reinforced plastic, a stealth technology, in order to make the vessel difficult to detect by other forces. A minimum of external equipment is stored outside of the vessel, with equipment such as liferafts being stored inside the hull. This hull also reduces the weight of the vessel by around half. It was intended to be radar silent until it moves within of an enemy vessel, resulting in designer John Nillson saying of it, "Naval officers fall in love with

his His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, ...

ship. It's not classically beautiful. In fact it looks like a lunchbox. But it has better maneuverability and can achieve that level of stealth."

Construction and career

''Härnösand'' was launched 16 December 2004 and named by

crown princess Victoria Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée; born 14 July 1977) is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, as the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf. If she ascends to the throne as expect ...

. She was commissioned on 16 December 2009.

References

External links

BBC article

FMV
- Official homepage
Kockums
- Official homepage
Swedish navy page on the Visby trials
Corvettes of Sweden Visby-class corvettes 2004 ships Ships built in Malmö {{Sweden-stub