Stockholm class corvette
Encyclopedia
Stockholm class corvette is a corvette
class in the Swedish Navy
. Built in Karlskrona
1984–1985, it is armed with eight RBS15
anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, one 57mm cannon and several machine gun
s. In 1999/2000 the two units in the class were upgraded in the Karlskrona shipyard Kockums
. The upgrade included new engines, sensors, stealth technology
, and navigation systems, the goal being to bring the technology up to the same level as the Visby class
.
from 230 tons to 350 tons. The engine was to be a CODAG
-concept, two diesels and one gas turbine. However, the class looked to become just another desktop project.
In the early 1980s a series of submarine incidents occurred within Swedish territorial waters
, the most famous of which was U 137 which ran aground outside Karlskrona 1981. These incidents showed that the Swedish Navy
was seriously lacking in its anti-submarine
(ASW) capacity. Specifically, it needed new hulls designed to anti-submarine warfare, and it needed them fast. The decision was to use the Ytattack-81 project and modify it for ASW operations, as designing a completely new ship is a time-consuming and costly task. It was given a towed array sonar
, ASW torpedo
es and the ELMA anti-submarine grenade launcher
system. HMS Stockholm was launched 22 August 1984 closely followed by HMS Malmö 23 March 1985, both ships entered service 1 May 1986.
In the middle of the 1990s the ships started to show their age, mainly because of their high mileage and the latest few years explosive development of electronics. The Stockholm class was a successful design and the ships' basic status was good despite a hard life so the Swedish Defence Administration decided to give the ships a second life. HMS Malmö was the first to be modernised in 1999 with HMS Stockholm following suit 2000. The modernisation included new engines, combat control systems, fire control systems, SIGINT and navigational systems. The ships both went through extensive modification of the mast, hull and superstructure to reduce their radar cross-section. Much of the modification was also made with low maintenance in mind to minimise the need for expensive repairs in the future. The guiding principle for the project was to update as much of the systems as possible to the same level as the Visby Corvettes
. Both ships are back in operational condition now, attached to the 31'st Corvette Division of the 3rd Naval Warfare Flotilla.
In early 2009 the Swedish government decided that the two ships in the class was to join the EU-lead taskforce outside Somalia
, where its would fight piracy
. In May 2009 the ships started their first patrol outside the Somalian coast. On May 26 the HMS Malmö responded to a pirate attack on the Greek ship M/V Antonis. The Corvette fired warning shots with its 57mm canon and arrested seven pirates.
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
class in 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...
. Built in Karlskrona
Karlskrona
Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
1984–1985, it is armed with eight RBS15
RBS15
The RBS-15 is a long-range fire-and-forget surface-to-surface and air-to-surface, anti-ship missile. The later version Mk. III has the ability to attack land targets as well...
anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, one 57mm cannon and several machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s. In 1999/2000 the two units in the class were upgraded in the Karlskrona shipyard 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....
. The upgrade included new engines, sensors, stealth technology
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
, and navigation systems, the goal being to bring the technology up to the same level as the Visby class
Visby class corvette
The Visby is the latest class of corvette to be adopted by the Royal Swedish Navy after the Göteborg and the Stockholm class corvettes. The ship's design heavily emphasizes "low visibility" or stealth technology. The first ship in the class is named after Visby, the main city on the island of Gotland...
.
History
The Stockholm Class Corvette started as a study for a ship with increased endurance, a project called Ytattack-81(Surface combatant-81), which was built on the torpedo boats of Spica and Spica II class, but with an increased displacementDisplacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
from 230 tons to 350 tons. The engine was to be a CODAG
Combined diesel and gas
Combined diesel and gas ' is a type of propulsion system for ships which need a maximum speed that is considerably faster than their cruise speed, particularly warships like modern frigates or corvettes....
-concept, two diesels and one gas turbine. However, the class looked to become just another desktop project.
In the early 1980s a series of submarine incidents occurred within Swedish territorial waters
Territorial waters
Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most from the baseline of a coastal state...
, the most famous of which was U 137 which ran aground outside Karlskrona 1981. These incidents showed that 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...
was seriously lacking in its anti-submarine
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(ASW) capacity. Specifically, it needed new hulls designed to anti-submarine warfare, and it needed them fast. The decision was to use the Ytattack-81 project and modify it for ASW operations, as designing a completely new ship is a time-consuming and costly task. It was given a towed array sonar
Towed array sonar
A towed array sonar is a sonar array that is towed behind a submarine or surface ship. It is basically a long cable, up to 5 km, with hydrophones that is trailed behind the ship when deployed. The hydrophones are placed at specific distances along the cable...
, ASW torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es and the ELMA anti-submarine grenade launcher
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
system. HMS Stockholm was launched 22 August 1984 closely followed by HMS Malmö 23 March 1985, both ships entered service 1 May 1986.
In the middle of the 1990s the ships started to show their age, mainly because of their high mileage and the latest few years explosive development of electronics. The Stockholm class was a successful design and the ships' basic status was good despite a hard life so the Swedish Defence Administration decided to give the ships a second life. HMS Malmö was the first to be modernised in 1999 with HMS Stockholm following suit 2000. The modernisation included new engines, combat control systems, fire control systems, SIGINT and navigational systems. The ships both went through extensive modification of the mast, hull and superstructure to reduce their radar cross-section. Much of the modification was also made with low maintenance in mind to minimise the need for expensive repairs in the future. The guiding principle for the project was to update as much of the systems as possible to the same level as the Visby Corvettes
Visby class corvette
The Visby is the latest class of corvette to be adopted by the Royal Swedish Navy after the Göteborg and the Stockholm class corvettes. The ship's design heavily emphasizes "low visibility" or stealth technology. The first ship in the class is named after Visby, the main city on the island of Gotland...
. Both ships are back in operational condition now, attached to the 31'st Corvette Division of the 3rd Naval Warfare Flotilla.
In early 2009 the Swedish government decided that the two ships in the class was to join the EU-lead taskforce outside Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, where its would fight piracy
Piracy in Somalia
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...
. In May 2009 the ships started their first patrol outside the Somalian coast. On May 26 the HMS Malmö responded to a pirate attack on the Greek ship M/V Antonis. The Corvette fired warning shots with its 57mm canon and arrested seven pirates.
Units
| Bow number | Ship name | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Service | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K11 | HMS Stockholm | 1 August 1982 | 22 August 1984 | 1 May 1986 | 3rd Naval Warfare Flotilla | Modernised 2000, Active |
| K12 | HMS Malmö | 14 March 1983 | 23 March 1985 | 1 May 1986 | 3rd Naval Warfare Flotilla | Modernised 1999, Active |