Engineering:Västergötland-class submarine

Short description: Swedish underwater naval vessel

HSwMS Västergötland (left)
Class overview
Name:	Västergötland class
Builders:	Kockums
Operators:	Swedish Navy Republic of Singapore Navy
Preceded by:	Näcken class
Succeeded by:	Gotland class
Subclasses:	Södermanland class Archer class
Planned:	4
Completed:	4
Active:	4
General characteristics
Type:	Submarine
Displacement:	Surfaced: 1,070 t (1,050 long tons; 1,180 short tons) Submerged: 1,150 t (1,130 long tons; 1,270 short tons)
Length:	48.5 m (159 ft 1 in)
Beam:	6.1 m (20 ft 0 in)
Draft:	5.6 m (18 ft 4 in)
Propulsion:	2 × Hedmora V12A/15 1 × Jeumont-Schneider electric motor
Speed:	Surfaced: 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) Submerged: 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement:	18 officers 6 conscripts
Sensors and processing systems:	FAS
Armament:	6 × 533mm tubes 3 × 400-mm tubes Mines

The Västergötland class of diesel-electric submarines entered service in 1987 in the Swedish Navy 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. The latter two have undergone comprehensive refits, including the insertion of a new hull section with an air-independent propulsion system equipped with Stirling engines. They have been recommissioned in 2003–2004 as the new Södermanland class.

Västergötland and Hälsingland were put in reserve until November 2005, when they were sold to the Republic of Singapore Navy as the Archer class. They were refitted to Södermanland class standards and received additional climatisation for use in tropical waters, and relaunched in 2009–2010.

Units

HSwMS Södermanland

Ship name	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Service	Refit	Status
Västergötland	10 January 1983	19 July 1986	27 November 1987	1st Submarine flotilla	Sold to Republic of Singapore Navy 2005 (deal finished 2008); Recommissioned as Archer-class submarines	Active
Hälsingland	1 January 1984	31 August 1987	20 October 1988			Active
Södermanland	1985	12 April 1988	21 April 1989		Refitted 2003–2004 to Södermanland class	Active
Östergötland	1986	9 December 1988				Active

See also

• List of submarine classes in service
• Collins-class submarine - enlarged versions of Västergötland used by the Royal Australian Navy
• List of active Swedish Navy ships