Following yesterday's A26 article, I have been thinking about Sweden's next 10 year submarine replacement plan.
It may be that, of Sweden's 2 Södermanland + 3 Gotland class submarines:
Availability
- 3 will be available for service within 1 to 2 days,
- 1 has its crew on courses, leave, with some short (2 week) maintenance of sub
- 1 will be in deep maintenance (can include mid-life upgrade) for 12 months every 9? years.
Replacement Plan
- 2 Södermanlands (launched 1988, received AIP in 2004-2005,
: were to remain in service to 2019-20 when replaced by 1 or 2 A26s
: but as A26s will only be in service from 2024 and 2025 (see A26 Timeline below) then 1 or
2 Södermanlands may need to remain in service till 2024 and 2025 (at 36 and 37 years old)
or 1 or 2 Södermanlands will need to retire. This is particularly as Södermanland stealth, diesels,
AIP and combat systems become obsolete (or wear out) and are more expensive to maintain.
So from 2019-20 to 2024-25 Sweden may need to only rely on its 3 Gotland class subs
- launched 1995-1996,
- fortunately mid-life updated progressively from 2018 to probably 2020 (for the last one).
- See Gotland mid-life updates on FMV video of March 12, 2019 with English captions.
Updates include new:
: stealthier IT
: Stirling AIP (3rd? generation)
: a 2-3m? mid-hull plug for Vertical Multi-purpose Lock (VMPL)? or some other use?
: optronic masts
: sensor suite
: crew comfort
COMMENTS
Mid-life updates might efficiently work for 8 to 10 years, permitting the 3 Gotlands to be progressively replaced by 3? (or 4?) A26s from 2025 to 2030. The 3? (or 4?) issue depends on Swedish Navy, Saab and FMV requirments and any export success.
Submarines serving in the Swedish Navy may go on two week missions, with just one full submersion-contraction cycle and wholey on AIP, no need to use diesels. So this means their hulls might theoretically last 40 years and with very little diesel engine wear.
![]()
A26 Timeline (2015-2025)
From FMV's April 13, 2018 document http://fmv.se/sv/Projekt/Ubat-typ-A26/.
Export Sales?
The Netherlands and Poland may await the first (Swedish Navy) A26's submerged, at sea, trials, from 2022. This is to see that it is an efficient, problem free sub.
The competing TKMS Typre 212CD might only be ready for sea trials 2 years later, in 2024, and Naval Group timelines are less certain. So it may be well into the 2020s before the Netherlands and Poland finally make a firm selection of their replacement submarines.
Pete
It may be that, of Sweden's 2 Södermanland + 3 Gotland class submarines:
Availability
- 3 will be available for service within 1 to 2 days,
- 1 has its crew on courses, leave, with some short (2 week) maintenance of sub
- 1 will be in deep maintenance (can include mid-life upgrade) for 12 months every 9? years.
Replacement Plan
- 2 Södermanlands (launched 1988, received AIP in 2004-2005,
: were to remain in service to 2019-20 when replaced by 1 or 2 A26s
: but as A26s will only be in service from 2024 and 2025 (see A26 Timeline below) then 1 or
2 Södermanlands may need to remain in service till 2024 and 2025 (at 36 and 37 years old)
or 1 or 2 Södermanlands will need to retire. This is particularly as Södermanland stealth, diesels,
AIP and combat systems become obsolete (or wear out) and are more expensive to maintain.
So from 2019-20 to 2024-25 Sweden may need to only rely on its 3 Gotland class subs
- launched 1995-1996,
- fortunately mid-life updated progressively from 2018 to probably 2020 (for the last one).
- See Gotland mid-life updates on FMV video of March 12, 2019 with English captions.
Updates include new:
: stealthier IT
: Stirling AIP (3rd? generation)
: a 2-3m? mid-hull plug for Vertical Multi-purpose Lock (VMPL)? or some other use?
: optronic masts
: sensor suite
: crew comfort
COMMENTS
Mid-life updates might efficiently work for 8 to 10 years, permitting the 3 Gotlands to be progressively replaced by 3? (or 4?) A26s from 2025 to 2030. The 3? (or 4?) issue depends on Swedish Navy, Saab and FMV requirments and any export success.
Submarines serving in the Swedish Navy may go on two week missions, with just one full submersion-contraction cycle and wholey on AIP, no need to use diesels. So this means their hulls might theoretically last 40 years and with very little diesel engine wear.
Image from 2015 (if not earlier) most likely from Saab Kockums. Image now on many websites. Click on image to enlarge.
---
A26 Timeline (2015-2025)
From FMV's April 13, 2018 document http://fmv.se/sv/Projekt/Ubat-typ-A26/.
· 2015 FMV orders two A26 submarines by Saab Kockums
· 2015 Continued system work and construction
· 2015 Production begins
· 2021 Launch of the first submarine
· 2021 Harbor Acceptance Test (HAT). Verification of systems that can be done at quay. Closes
when the systems meet the requirements and the boat is safe to carry out sea samples.
when the systems meet the requirements and the boat is safe to carry out sea samples.
· 2022-2023 Sea Acceptance Test (SAT). Verification of requirements that require the submarine to
be at sea
be at sea
· 2023 Delivery of the first submarine to FMV
· 2024 Validation of the first submarine's ability before delivery to the Armed Forces
· 2024 Delivery of the second submarine to FMV
· 2025 Validation of the other submarine's ability before delivery to the Armed Forces
Export Sales?
The Netherlands and Poland may await the first (Swedish Navy) A26's submerged, at sea, trials, from 2022. This is to see that it is an efficient, problem free sub.
The competing TKMS Typre 212CD might only be ready for sea trials 2 years later, in 2024, and Naval Group timelines are less certain. So it may be well into the 2020s before the Netherlands and Poland finally make a firm selection of their replacement submarines.
Pete