Sjöormen class submarine
Encyclopedia
The Sjöormen class were a group of submarine
s built for the Swedish Navy
in the late 1960s. They had a teardrop shape and were capable of diving to 150m. At the time of their deployment they were regarded as one of the most advanced non-nuclear submarine-classes in the world, incorporating many new features including x-rudder and anechoic tiles. Both speed and underwater endurance was at this time very high for a conventional submarine.
The ships were retired by Sweden in the early 1990s.
in 1996 and modernised in the late 1990s by Kockums
. Various modifications were required to suit the boats to tropical waters. A comprehensive tropicalisation programme was carried out for all four submarines, which involved installing air conditioning, marine growth protection systems and corrosion-resistant piping. , they are currently in service with the Republic of Singapore Navy
as the Challenger class
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s built for the Swedish Navy
Swedish Navy
The Royal Swedish Navy 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 so-called Amphibious Corps .In Swedish, vessels of the Swedish Navy are given the prefix "HMS," short for Hans/Hennes...
in the late 1960s. They had a teardrop shape and were capable of diving to 150m. At the time of their deployment they were regarded as one of the most advanced non-nuclear submarine-classes in the world, incorporating many new features including x-rudder and anechoic tiles. Both speed and underwater endurance was at this time very high for a conventional submarine.
The ships were retired by Sweden in the early 1990s.
Sale to Singapore
Four of the ships were sold to SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in 1996 and modernised in the late 1990s by Kockums
Kockums
Kockums AB is a shipyard in Malmö, Sweden owned by the German shipyard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in Kiel. HDW itself is a subsidiary of the German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems....
. Various modifications were required to suit the boats to tropical waters. A comprehensive tropicalisation programme was carried out for all four submarines, which involved installing air conditioning, marine growth protection systems and corrosion-resistant piping. , they are currently in service with the Republic of Singapore Navy
Republic of Singapore Navy
The Republic of Singapore Navy is the naval component of the Singapore Armed Forces , responsible for the defence of Singapore against sea-borne threats and protection of its sea lines of communications. Operating within the crowded littoral waters of the Singapore Strait, the RSN is regarded as...
as the Challenger class
Ships
| Ship | Builder | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sjöormen / Centurion | Kockums | 25 Jan 1967 | 31 July 1968 | In Service with Singapore Navy |
| Sjölejonet / Conqueror | Kockums | 29 June 1967 | 16 Dec 1968 | In Service with Singapore Navy |
| Sjöbjörnen / Challenger | Karskrona Navy yard | 9 Jan 1968 | 28 Feb 1969 | In Service with Singapore Navy |
| Sjöhunden / Chieftain | Kockums | 21 March 1968 | 25 June 1969 | In Service with Singapore Navy |
| Sjöhästen | Karskrona Navy yard | 6 Aug 1968 | 15 Sept 1969 | Sold to Singapore in 1995 used for spare parts |