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Source References

1. Örlogsfartyg, Svenska maskindrivna fartyg under tretungad flagg. G von Hofsten, J Waernberg. 2004. 2. Försvarsmakten (Swedish Armed Forces) 3. Wikipedia 4. Digitaltmuseum 5. Sjöhistoriska museet = The National Maritime Museum, Stockholm 6. Marinmuseum = The Naval Museum, Karlskrona Top of page

Swedish Warships - Surface

Combatants - 4

List of various types of Swedish Motorized

Surface Combatants

• Battleship • Coastal defense ship • Cruiser, part-1, part-2 • Destroyer, part-1, part-2, part-3 • Frigate • Corvette • Motor torpedo boat • Torpedo boat / Missile boat • Patrol boat • Picket boat • Surveillance boat • Minelayer / Minehunter / Minesweeper

Definitions

In the description of the ships, there are some concepts and terms that may be worth describing. • Pennant No., the recognition number that Swedish warships normally, in peacetime, have painted on the side of certain types of ships. For submarines, it is an abbreviation of the submarine's name. [Hull No. in the US]. • Delivered refers to the time when the ship was formally delivered to the Navy from the shipyard. • Launched, refers to the time when the ship was christened and launched. • Decommissioned normally refers to the time when the ship is permanently removed from the Navy organization. • Displacement, expressed in tons, is given with two values, standard displacement, and displacement when the ship is fully equipped. If only one value is given, it refers to standard displacement. For submarines, displacement is given in surface mode and submerged mode. • Speed is given in knots and refers to the contracted speed. For submarines, the speed is given in surface mode and submerged mode. • Dimensions, given in meters for length, beam, and draft. The length may be given in two dimensions: the waterline and the maximum overall length. If only one length is given, the maximum length is referred to. Beam means the maximum width. • Complement, the crew size. It normally refers to the peacetime crew size. • Submarine diving depths indicate the maximum permitted diving depth in peacetime. • ihp = Indicated horsepower (the theoretical power of a reciprocating engine if it is completely frictionless) The abbreviation "HMS" means “Hans Majestäts Skepp / Hennes Majestäts Skepp” and is used in the Swedish Navy as a prefix before the ship's name, such as HMS Visby. However, HMS was not used by the Swedish Navy until after 1950. For older ships, i.e. built before 1950, "HM" (His Majesty's) was used followed by the ship type and name, e.g. HM Kryssare Tre Kronor. HSwMS is a sometimes used designation for military ships from Sweden when traveling outside Sweden's territorial waters, instead of HMS. In the UK, the same abbreviation stands for Her Majesty's Ship or His Majesty's Ship and has been used in the Royal Navy since the 1660s. The USA uses the designation USS, United States Ship. During WW II, from June 23, 1940, Swedish warships were marked with white transverse lines on their decks and sides so that they could be clearly identified as neutral ships and thus avoid accidental fire from the belligerents.

Destroyer (3)

Destroyers are a type of warship developed in the early 20th century. A destroyer is fast, relatively large, and very heavily armed. Originally, the role of the destroyer was to protect battleships from torpedo boats. Soon enough, destroyers were also equipped with torpedoes. On modern destroyers, torpedoes have been supplemented or replaced by missiles. During and before World War II, destroyers were mainly used for patrol, escort, and anti-submarine duties. They were therefore often armed with anti- submarine equipment such as sonar and depth charges. Start-page: Destroyer

Swedish Destroyers

The Mode class was a destroyer class known as coastal destroyers. It consisted of four smaller destroyers, HMS Mode (29), HMS Magne (30), HMS Munin (31) and HMS Mjölner (32). The four-ship class was built during World War II to rapidly expand the fleet's set of destroyers. Their design was inspired by the Romulus-class (Spica-class) destroyers purchased in Italy, but the Mode destroyers were more heavily armed. The standard on board was also much better. Four destroyers were purchased from Italy in 1940, two of the Psilander class and two of the Romulus class. The Romulus class destroyers were relatively modern while the Psilander class destroyers were somewhat outdated. However, when buying from Italy, the Naval Administration had also purchased blueprints for a more modern variant of the Psilander class, which was now used as a source of inspiration when designing the new Mode-class destroyers. The design work was outsourced to Götaverken in Gothenburg, which also built two of the ships, HMS Mode and Magne. Munin was built at Öresundsvarvet and Mjölner at Eriksbergsvarvet. The bridge was wider than the superstructure, which gave the ships a distinctive appearance from the front compared to other Swedish destroyer types. The Mode-class destroyers were reclassified as frigates in 1953. • Mode, launched in 1942, delivered to the Navy in 1942. She was decommissioned in 1970. Pennant no. 29, later 73. • Magne, launched in 1942, delivered to the Navy in 1942. She was decommissioned in 1966. Pennant no. 30, later 74. • Munin, launched in 1942, delivered to the Navy in 1942. She was decommissioned in 1968. Pennant no. 31, later 75. • Mjölner, launched in 1942, delivered to the Navy in 1942. She was decommissioned in 1966. Pennant no. 32, later 76. The vessels were 78.0 m long and the beam was 8.1 m. The displacement was 635/785 tons. Speed: 30 knots. Complement: 67 men. The ships' main armament consisted of three 10.5 cm m/42 guns. These were placed in separate turrets, one on the quarterdeck, one on the aft deck, and one on the aft superstructure. The anti-aircraft defense consisted of two 40 mm m/36 anti-aircraft automatic guns and two 20 mm m/40. In addition, there were three 53.3 cm torpedo tubes m/30 in triple racks, two depth charge throwers m/33 and two depth charge racks type C, 16 depth charges m/33, and 42 sea mines. The machinery consisted of two oil-fired boilers which supplied steam to two steam turbines, each driving a propeller. The machinery developed 16,000 hp which gave the ship a maximum speed of 30 knots. The ships' main tasks were escort and guard duties and close protection of the coastal defense ships, tasks for which they were well suited. The image shows the destroyer HMS Mode J29, launched in 1942, delivered in 1942. Length 78.0 m, beam 8.1 m. Pennant no. 29. Image: Sjöhistoriska museet, ID: Fo71075A. The picture shows that the bridge was wider than the superstructure. In 1953, the Mode-class destroyers were reclassified as frigates and rebuilt in the mid-1950s. One of the 10.5 cm guns and the torpedo tube rack were removed and the 40 mm m/36 anti-aircraft guns were replaced by the m/48 of the same caliber. An m/51 Squid anti-submarine mortar was also fitted. As frigates, the ships were given new pennant numbers. The Visby class was a destroyer class also known as destroyers of city class since all the vessels carried a Swedish city name. The class consisted of four destroyers HMS Visby (J11), HMS Sundsvall (J12), HMS Hälsingborg (J13), and HMS Kalmar (J14). They were delivered between 1943 and 1944 as part of the expansion of the Swedish defense system following the Second World War. During the war, the ships were used for neutrality watch and ship escorting. As the Visby class was based on the Gothenburg class, which was known as the "Destroyers of city class", the Visby destroyers were called "Destroyers of Modified City Class". HMS Visby and Hälsingborg were built at Götaverken, while Sundsvall and Kalmar were built at the Eriksberg shipyard in Gothenburg. In 1965, the ships were rebuilt and reclassified as frigates. Compared to the Gothenburg class, the hull of the Visby class was extended by about three meters and the rounded so-called "cruiser stern" was replaced by a flat "square stern". This provided better buoyancy and made it possible for the ships to maintain the same speed as the Gothenburg class, 35 knots, without increasing engine power, despite a larger displacement. In addition, the medium-caliber gun, which on the Gothenburg class stood between the funnels, was moved to a platform on the aft deckhouse to obtain better angles of fire. This also allowed the funnels to be placed closer together. The main superstructure stood just forward of amidships and housed the crew kitchen, wheelhouse, maneuvering cabin, and bridge. • Visby, launched in 1942, delivered in 1943. She was decommissioned in 1982. Pennant no. 11, later F11 • Sundsvall, launched in 1942, delivered in 1943. She was decommissioned in 1982. Pennant no. 12, later F12. • Hälsingborg, launched in 1943, delivered in 1943. She was decommissioned in 1978. Pennant no. 13, later F13. • Kalmar, launched in 1943, delivered in 1944. She was decommissioned in 1976. Pennant no. 14, later F14. The vessels were 97.5 m long and the beam was 9.2 m. The displacement was 1,135/1,320 tons. Speed: 39 knots. Complement: 155 men. The machinery consisted of three oil-fired Penhoët A boilers generating steam for two 36,000 hp de Laval steam turbines, each driving a propeller. This gave the ships a maximum speed of 39 knots. The ships' main armament consisted of three 12 cm m/24C guns. The anti-aircraft defense consisted of four 40 mm anti-aircraft automatic guns m/36 in two single and one double gun carriages, four 20 mm anti- aircraft automatic guns m/40, two anti-aircraft machine guns m/36. In addition, six 53.3 cm torpedo tubes m/30 in triple racks, two depth charge racks m/24, two depth charge throwers m/33, sixteen depth charges m/30, and 40 - 46 sea mines. The image shows the destroyer HMS Sundsvall J12, launched in 1942, delivered in 1943. Length 97.5 m, beam 9.2 m. Pennant no. 12. Image: Sjöhistoriska museet, ID: Fo89082AB. After the war, the destroyers underwent several modifications. HMS Visby and Sundsvall were subject to the biggest changes. All four destroyers in the class were reclassified as frigates in 1965. As the main artillery, they received two 57 mm anti-aircraft automatic guns m/50D. A Bofors 37.5 cm Squid anti- submarine mortar m/50 (quadruple) and two depth charge racks m/33 were added. The sea mine capacity was increased to 130 mines. A new reconnaissance radar and a new radar fire control system (Arte 62) with a randomized radar antenna were installed. A helicopter platform was also built. Less extensive changes were made at HMS Hälsingborg and Kalmar. As frigates, the ships were assigned new pennant numbers. The Öland class was a destroyer class consisting of two destroyers, HMS Öland (J16), and HMS Uppland (J17). During World War II, the trend was towards larger and larger destroyers. The great powers' destroyers had grown to 1,500 - 2,000 tons. The Swedish Parliament decided in 1942 that the Swedish Navy should be designed in the same way. Cruisers would be used as the flotilla capital ship, and four new larger destroyers would be built. Of the four planned destroyers, only two were built. Kockum Shipyard in Malmö built one destroyer (J16) and Karlskrona Shipyard the other (J17). When the Öland class entered service, these ships were the largest destroyers that had ever served in the Swedish Navy. The ships were 111.8 m long and had double hulls to increase safety in case of hull damage. The hulls were fully welded except for the armor plate around the engine rooms, which was riveted. Thanks to its size and hull shape, the Öland class was much more stable than earlier Swedish destroyer types. It was now also possible to walk through the entire ship, protected from the weather, and reach all spaces. The Öland class were the first Swedish-built destroyers with the main artillery mounted in closed double turrets instead of the earlier single shield pieces. The guns were semi-automatic and complemented the powerful anti-aircraft guns by also being able to engage air targets. Initially, the two destroyers had different bridge complexes. • Öland, launched in 1945, delivered in 1947. She was decommissioned in 1978. Pennant no. 16. • Uppland, launched in 1946, delivered in 1949. She was decommissioned in 1978. Pennant no. 17. The vessels were 111.8 m long and the beam was 11.2 m. The displacement was 1,880/2,250 tons. Speed: 35 knots. Complement: 231 men. The image shows the destroyer HMS Uppland J17, launched in 1946, delivered in 1949. Length 111.8 m, beam 11.2 m. Pennant no. 17. Photo in 1949. Image: Sjöhistoriska museet, ID: Fo200336. The machinery consisted of two oil-fired ÖVK A-type boilers generating steam for two 44,000 hp Laval vxl steam turbines. This gave the ships a maximum speed of 35 knots. The ships' main armament consisted of four 12 cm m/44 guns in two double turrets. The anti-aircraft defense consisted of seven 40 mm anti-aircraft automatic guns m/36 in three double and one single gun carriages, eight 20 mm anti-aircraft automatic guns m/40, two anti-aircraft machine guns m/36. In addition, six 53.3 cm torpedo tubes m/30-43 in triple racks, two depth charge racks m/44, two depth charge throwers m/33, 60 depth charges m/33, and 40 sea mines. In 1947-1948, HMS Öland was also fitted with the modern combat management and anti-submarine warfare equipment that HMS Uppland was already equipped with from the beginning. The ships have undergone several rebuilds, but the biggest one took place between 1959 and 1963. The destroyers were reclassified as frigates in 1975 without any major modifications. Both destroyers were decommissioned three years later, in 1978. The Halland class was a destroyer class consisting of two destroyers, HMS Halland (J18) and HMS Småland (J19). As the destroyers are named after Swedish provinces, they have also been called province destroyers. They were delivered from Götaverken in 1955 (J18) and the Eriksberg Shipyard (J19) in 1956. Two more destroyers were planned in the class, HMS Lappland and HMS Värmland, but these were canceled due to reduced defense funding. They were the first Swedish destroyers to make full use of wartime experience from the Second World War. The ships of the Halland class were the largest and most heavily armed destroyers in the Swedish Navy ever and were the first Swedish destroyers equipped with anti-ship missiles (perhaps even the first in the world). When the cruisers HMS Tre Kronor and HMS Göta Lejon were decommissioned in the early 1970s, the two Halland-class destroyers became the largest and most powerful warships in the fleet. The hull of the Halland class was designed with a forecastle, i.e. a raised foredeck. A long superstructure ran from the forecastle to the stern, enabling the crew to reach the entire ship without having to go outside, thus minimizing the risk of exposure to radioactive fallout. The ships' hulls were armored on the sides and in the decks around the engine room. Since the advent of the city destroyers, the superstructures of the Swedish destroyers had often been built in light metal, but experience had shown that in the event of a fire on board, the metal softened quickly and could melt. The Halland class therefore reverted to steel structures. To save weight, corrugated sheets were used instead of welded holds and profiles. Initially, there was a illumination flare launcher on the aft deck, but as it was felt that radar could be relied on more and more, this was replaced by a low deckhouse with a helipad on the roof. • Halland, launched in 1952, delivered in 1955. She was decommissioned in 1987. Pennant no. 18. • Småland, launched in 1952, delivered in 1956. She was decommissioned in 1984. Pennant no. 19. The vessels were 121.0 m long and the beam was 12.6 m. The displacement was 2,790/3,400 tons. Speed: 35 knots. Complement: 290 men. The machinery consisted of two oil-fired Penhoët M boilers generating steam for two 58,000 hp Laval vxl steam turbines. This gave the ships a maximum speed of 35 knots. The image shows the destroyer HMS Halland J18, launched in 1952, delivered in 1955. Length 121.0 m, beam 12.6 m. Pennant no. 18. Image: Sjöhistoriska museet, ID: Fo81183A. The vessels' main armament consisted of four 12 cm automatic guns m/50 in two twin turrets. The anti- aircraft defense consisted of two 57 mm anti-aircraft automatic guns m/50 in twin turrets, six 40 mm anti- aircraft automatic guns m/48E, and a single launch pad for the experimental missile 315. Furthermore, eight 53.3 cm torpedo tubes m/30 in quadruple racks, eight 37.5 cm anti-submarine mortars m/50 in a quadruple rack, two depth charge racks m/44, one 10.3 cm illumination flare launcher, and 58 sea mines. The armament was of a completely new type developed by Bofors, consisting of a fully automatic dual-purpose gun capable of firing 40 rounds per minute. This high rate of fire was achieved by utilizing two ammunition hoists, which were fed from four magazines and followed the rotation of the turret. Because the ammunition hoists were duplicated, rapid changes in ammunition type could be made. Each magazine held 26 cartridges. In addition, Bofors had developed a new 57 mm anti- aircraft automatic gun, which was a further development of the older, classic 40 mm gun. A new anti-submarine mortar had also been developed. With modern electronic fire control and centralized gyros, the fire could be opened with great precision even at yaw. Already during the design phase, there were plans to equip the destroyers with missiles. However, the Swedish experimental missile 315 never became fully operational. Instead, SAAB developed a new missile based on the French target missile CT 20, which later was designated Rb 08. The missiles had a range of 70 km and in 1966 the destroyers were equipped with this missile. The vessels were continuously modernized, but the biggest changes were made on HMS Halland in 1962 and 1969 and on HMS Småland in 1964 and 1967. Three years after HMS Småland was decommissioned in 1984, she was handed over to Gothenburg Maritime Center (Göteborgs Maritima Centrum) as a museum ship. The Östergötland class was a destroyer class consisting of four destroyers, HMS Östergötland (J20), HMS Södermanland (J21), HMS Gästrikland (J22), and HMS Hälsingland (J23). The ships were built between 1958 and 1959 to replace three ships that were decommissioned from the fleet, the cruiser HMS Gotland and two destroyers. The class was largely based on the earlier Öland class from the late 1940s and was built on the same hull model. The original plan was to expand the larger Halland class with four more ships. However, since there was only enough funding for three such ships, and the requirement for four was maintained, it was decided to return to the design of the smaller Öland class instead. This turned out to be moderately successful, as these hulls were actually too small for the new and expanded equipment that the Östergötland class received. The Östergötland class were the first destroyers to be built in sections which were then assembled on the stacking bed. The ships were designed at Götaverken, which also built two of the ships, the Östergötland and Gästrikland. Eriksberg built one of the ships, Södermanland, and the hull of Hälsingland, which was then completed by Kockums. The Östergötland class had a displacement of 2,600 tons, which was significantly more than the almost 2,000 tons that the hulls were designed to carry. This was due to more and heavier equipment than on the older ships, and also because the superstructure of the Östergötland class was built in steel, unlike the Öland class which was built with a lot of light metal. As this extra weight was placed over the ship's center of gravity, stability was reduced, and in order not to reduce it further, it was necessary to abandon the long superstructure of the Halland class, which made it possible to reach the entire ship without going outside. To increase maneuverability, the design of the stern was changed from the Öland class and the ships were given double rudders. • Östergötland, launched in 1956, delivered in 1958. She was decommissioned in 1982. Pennant no. 20. • Södermanland, launched in 1956, delivered in 1958. She was decommissioned in 1984. Pennant no. 21. • Gästrikland, launched in 1956, delivered in 1959. She was decommissioned in 1984. Pennant no. 22. • Hälsingland, launched in 1957, delivered in 1959. She was decommissioned in 1984. Pennant no. 23. The vessels were 111.8 m long and the beam was 11.2 m. The displacement was 2,044/2,600 tons. Speed: 35 knots. Complements: 244 men. The image shows the destroyer HMS Hälsingland J23, launched in 1957, delivered in 1959. Length 111.8 m, beam 11.2 m. Pennant no. 23. Image: Marinmuseum, ID: D 15050:6. The machinery consisted of two Babcock & Wilcox oil-fired boilers generating steam for two 47,000 hp Laval vxl steam turbines. This gave the ships a maximum speed of 35 knots. The ships' main armament consisted of four 12 cm automatic cannons m/44-44A in two double turrets, one in the bow and one in the stern. The anti-aircraft defense consisted of seven 40 mm anti-aircraft automatic guns m/48E (the Gästrikland and Hälsingland only five), and six 53.3 cm torpedo tubes m/30 in triple racks. One 30.5 cm anti-submarine mortar m/51, two depth charge racks m/44, one 10.3 cm illumination flare launcher, four 10.3 cm illumination flare racks m/55, and sea 58 mines. The Östergötland class was modernized in 1963 - 1967. Among other things, one of the 40 mm anti- aircraft automatic guns was removed and replaced with a launcher for the British surface-to-air missile Sea Cat, which in Sweden was known as "Robot 07". Södermanland was the first of the destroyers to have the missile system installed, even before British ships. To increase stability, two of HMS Östergötland's and Södermanland's seven 40 mm anti-aircraft automatic guns were removed. For the same reason, all ships' two triple torpedo racks were replaced by six tubes in width. Since the most modern arms and ship technology solutions could not be used on the Östergötland class ships, these destroyers never really became successful ships. All four destroyers were decommissioned between 1982 and 1984.

Frigate

In the age of motorized ships, a frigate is a surface ship between the size of a corvette and a destroyer, used mainly for anti-submarine warfare. The Swedish Navy has never had any motorized frigates that were originally built as frigates, but 15 destroyers were converted to frigates between 1951 and 1975. The last two were the province destroyers HMS Öland and HMS Uppland, launched in 1945/1946 and reclassified as frigates in 1975. They were decommissioned in 1978.

Swedish Frigates

Corvette

A corvette is a small, maneuverable, and lightly armed warship and is smaller than a frigate. Most modern navies use ships smaller than frigates for littoral tasks, but not all navies call them corvettes. Today's typical corvettes are between patrol boats and frigates in both size and characteristics. The corvette as a ship type has previously existed among the sailing warships but also as a steam- powered ship. It would be a long time before the name was used again. The British Royal Navy had ships with the designation corvette during World War II, ships intended for escort and anti-submarine duties. However, it would be another 50 years before the designation corvette was reintroduced in the Swedish Navy.

Swedish Corvettes

The current Swedish surface combatant fleet consists of three different types of corvettes: the Stockholm class, the Göteborg class, and the Visby class. All are capable of combat in three dimensions: surface combat, underwater combat, and air combat. Probably the most advanced corvette today is the Swedish Visby class. It is the first operational warship to make extensive use of stealth technology. The first two coastal corvettes, HMS Stockholm and Malmö, were a further development of the Norrköping- type missile boats but had a far greater capacity for anti-submarine warfare through more advanced anti- submarine warfare equipment. They thus became larger than the missile boats and the designation coastal corvette was considered justified. Since 1998, only the term corvette is used. The vessels' main tasks are surface attack, incident alert, anti-submarine warfare, mine laying, and escorting. In the next class of Göteborg-type corvettes, the concept was further developed. The hull shape was changed, the radar range was reduced and the ships were equipped with water jet propulsion. The Visby class corvette was a major step in the development of the corvette. The Visby class is built using stealth technology and thus has a very unconventional appearance. In addition to the same capabilities as its predecessor, the Visby class also has advanced air defense and command capabilities. Stockholm Class The Stockholm class, previously also known as Ytattack 81 and Spica III, is a class of corvettes belonging to the 3rd Naval Wing of the Swedish Navy. The class consists of two ships, HMS Stockholm (K11) and HMS Malmö (K12) which were delivered by the Karlskrona shipyard in 1985. The Stockholm-class corvettes were a further development of the Spica- class and Norrköping-class torpedo boats (Spica II) and have therefore also been called Spica III. The ships are built with a steel hull and light metal superstructures and masts. • Stockholm, launched in 1984, delivered to the navy in 1985. Pennant no. K11, later P11. • Malmö, launched in 1985, delivered to the navy in 1985. Pennant no. K12, later P12. The vessels are 50.0 m long and the beam is 7.5 m. The displacement is 310/335 tons. Speed: 30 knots. Complement: 40 men. The machinery consists of 2 MTU diesel engines and 1 Allied Signal gas turbine, each connected to a different propeller shaft. The total power of the three shafts is 11,200 hp. The main armament is flexible. Initially, the ships were equipped with two artillery pieces, a 57 mm dual-purpose gun 7103 in the bow and a 40 mm dual- purpose gun m/48 in the stern. The other main armament was variable. In the bow were 4×9 ELMA anti-submarine grenade launchers and a launcher for 53.3 cm torpedoes on each side. Aft of the superstructure it was possible to carry either four torpedo tubes for 53.3 cm or 40 cm torpedoes, eight missile Robot 15, or a combination of these. For mine laying, 68 sea mines could be carried on board. The ships also carried two machine guns m/58. During the mid-term modification in 2002, the aft gun and heavy torpedoes were removed, and a superstructure was built in the stern to store the towed array sonar. The forward torpedo tubes were removed to make room for an extension of the forward superstructure. Furthermore, the mast was modified to reduce the radar signature, the command system was renewed, and the main machinery was replaced. The image shows the corvette HMS Stockholm K11 in Kalmar in 2010 (i.e. after the 2002 renovation), launched in 1984, delivered in 1985. Length 50.0 m, beam 7.5 m. Pennant no. 11. Image: Wikipedia. In 2008, HMS Stockholm (K11), HMS Malmö (K12), and the auxiliary ship HMS Trossö (A264) were part of the Swedish standby force participating in the international Operation Atalanta in the Gulf of Aden along the east coast of Africa to fight piracy. On May 26, 2009, HMS Malmö made its first anti-piracy mission when it successfully repelled an attack on the Greek vessel A/V Antonis. Malmö fired warning shots with its 57 mm gun and apprehended seven pirates after a short chase. After the modification of both vessels in 2015, they were reclassified in 2016 as patrol vessels (patrol vessel type Stockholm), i.e. warships primarily intended for maritime surveillance. As a patrol vessel, the complement consists of 24 men. Göteborg Class The Göteborg class is a corvette class consisting of the corvettes HMS Göteborg (K21), HMS Gävle (K22), HMS Kalmar (K23), and HMS Sundsvall (K24). The corvettes were built between 1990 and 1993. Two more Göteborg-type corvettes were to be built, HMS Helsingborg (K25) and HMS Härnösand (K26), but they were canceled. HMS Göteborg and HMS Kalmar were decommissioned in 2007 and are no longer part of the Armed Forces organization. • Göteborg, launched in 1989, delivered to the Navy in 1990. Decommissioned in 2007. Pennant no. K21. • Gävle, launched in 1990, delivered to the Navy in 1990. Pennant no. K22. • Kalmar, launched in 1990, delivered to the Navy in 1991. Decommissioned in 2007. Pennant no. K23. • Sundsvall, launched in 1991, delivered to the Navy in 1993. Pennant no. K24. The vessels are 57.0 m long and the beam is 8.0 m. The displacement is 300/386 tons. Speed: 30 knots. Complement: 40 men. In the late 1990s, HMS Gävle was modified to a new standard for the corvettes, including a low observable radar signature, aft deck-house, bow thruster, stabilization fins, and gray camouflage paint. In 2017, a mid-life modification of the corvettes HMS Gävle and HMS Sundsvall was ordered with the upgrade or replacement of most systems, including a new command and control system with new sensors for air, surface, and underwater reconnaissance, a modern navigation system, and a new maneuvering system for the ship's propulsion. The modifications were completed in 2022 and these two corvettes are now referred to as Corvette Type Gävle. After the modernization of the two corvettes, they look the same as before, but the interior has been replaced with state-of-the-art technology with more effective weapon action in combat on, above, and below the water surface. The image shows the corvette HMS Sundsvall K24 in Stockholm in 2010, launched in 1991, delivered in 1993. Length 57.0 m, beam 8.0 m. Pennant no. 24. Image Wikipedia. The machinery consists of 3 MTU diesel engines, each driving a KaMeWa waterjet propulsion unit, totaling 10,300 hp, providing a speed of 30 knots. The main armament consists of two artillery pieces, a 57 mm dual-purpose cannon 7103B in the bow and a 40 mm dual-purpose cannon m/48 in the stern. In addition, eight RBS 15 MkII anti-ship missiles, two 7.62 mm machine guns m/58, four anti-submarine mortars m/84 (Elma), four 40 cm anti-submarine torpedoes type 45, 64 sea mines, four 57 mm illumination flare launcher m/77, and countermeasure system. Visby Class The Visby class is a corvette class whose ships are developed with stealth characteristics. There are five vessels, designed by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and manufactured by SAAB Kockums AB shipyard in Karlskrona. The order was placed in 1995. The ships in the class are HMS Visby (K31), HMS Helsingborg (K32), HMS Härnösand (K33), HMS Nyköping (K34), and HMS Karlstad (K35). A sixth ship was also ordered, HMS Uddevalla (K36) but was canceled in 2001. The hulls of the vessels are made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic laminate instead of steel. The ships also lack conventional propellers and instead use water jet engines powered by a combination of diesel engines and gas turbines. On December 16, 2009, the first two ships were delivered to the Navy. The Visby-class ships have a design that firstly makes detection by various sensors much more difficult and secondly makes it much more difficult for homing missiles to lock onto the ships. This design is referred to as signature adaptation or popularly known as "stealth technology". The ships also have a very small magnetic signature, given the threat of mines. The exhaust gases from the ship's engines are cooled to reduce the heat signature. The Visby class vessels underwent a decade-long testing phase before they entered service with the Swedish Navy. The first two ships of the class to be handed over to the Navy were HMS Helsingborg (K32) and HMS Härnösand (K33) in 2009. Upon delivery, these two ships were of version Mk4, which meant that the planned anti-ship missile armament was missing and the armament consisted only of the dual-purpose gun together with light and heavy machine guns and anti- submarine warfare torpedoes. The ships were returned to FMV and Kockums after being operational for two to three years, around 2012, for the upgrade to version Mk5, with the RBS 15 Mk2 anti-ship missile fully integrated. HMS Visby in version Mk5 was handed over to the Navy in August 2012, followed by HMS Nyköping in December 2012, HMS Karlstad in 2013, HMS Helsingborg in 2014 (2009), and HMS Härnösand in 2015 (2009). 1. Visby, launched in 2000, delivered to the Navy in 2012. Pennant no. K31. 2. Helsingborg, launched in 2003, delivered to the Navy in 2009/2014. Pennant no. K32. 3. Härnösand, launched in 2004, delivered to the Navy in 2009/2015. Pennant no. K33. 4. Nyköping, launched in 2005, delivered to the Navy in 2012. Pennant no.K34. 5. Karlstad, launched in 2006, delivered to the Navy in 2013. Pennant no. K35. The vessels are 72.8 m long and the beam is 10.4 m. The displacement is 600/650 tons. Speed: 35 knots. Complement: 44 men. If the ships were built of steel, the displacement would be about 1,100 tons. The image shows the corvette HMS Visby K31, launched in 2000, delivered in 2012. Length 72.8 m, beam 10.4 m. Pennant no. 31. Photo: Terje Fredh. Image: Sjöhistoriska museet, ID: Fo170296AF. To minimize the radar signature, the hull is designed with large flat angled surfaces, and virtually all equipment is built into the ship, or sits behind specially designed hatches. On the foredeck is the dual-purpose gun and the aft deck is a helicopter platform. At the far end of the stern, there is also a large space for the ship's VDS-type towable array sonar. The propulsion machinery consists of two MTU diesel engines and four gas turbines. These are designed as a CODOG (Combined Diesel Or Gas) system, which means that the engines and turbines can be connected to the same two shafts. The diesel engines provide an output of 2,600 kW and are used at low speeds. For higher speeds, the turbines are used instead, whose output of 16,000 kW gives the vessels their maximum speed of 35 knots. The vessels are powered by two water jet engines (water jet propulsion units) and thus have no propellers. The ships' armament consists of a 57 mm dual- purpose gun model 57 Mk3, eight RBS 15 Mk2 anti- ship missiles, four 40 cm torpedo 45 anti-submarine torpedoes, a missile launcher type ALECTO as well as mine tracks for mine laying and depth charges Model 33. Furthermore, there are countermeasures, Rheinmetal MASS-HIDD. The dual-purpose gun has a fully automatic loading system with 120 projectiles. All the weapons except the dual-purpose gun are built into the ships to make the exterior as flat as possible. The image shows the corvette HMS Visby K31 in 2013. Image: Wikipedia. As part of the Swedish Parliament's defense investments decided in the fall of 2020, the Visby corvettes will be equipped with surface-to-air missiles (SAM), and an agreement has been signed with SAAB Aeroplane Corporation to provide surface- to-air missiles when the Visby corvettes are modified at mid-term. The anti-ship missile system will be upgraded to the latest version, RBS 15Mk 3, and the torpedo system will be upgraded with a new anti-submarine warfare torpedo. There will also be a new surface-to-air missile capability. In 2021, an order was placed for the development of a second generation of Visby corvettes. The Visby Generation 2 corvettes would be larger than the current Visby corvettes, with increased range and endurance. In early 2023, it was announced that the Visby Gen 2 had been canceled in favor of the all-new Luleå class corvettes. The changing needs of the Swedish Navy as well as concerns about potential delays that could occur in modifying the Visby class design were the main reasons given for the cancellation. Luleå Class The Luleå class is a future class of surface combatants for the Swedish Navy that will be constructed by Saab Kockums. The first ship will be called HMS Luleå, the other ships are HMS Norrköping, HMS Trelleborg, and HMS Halmstad. The estimated delivery is 2030 for all ships. The Luleå class will be larger than today's existing Visby and Gävle class corvettes. Since the Navy wants to avoid delays and quickly bring the Luleå class into service, there are plans for the hulls to be built at a foreign shipyard while Saab Kockums is responsible for equipping the ships before they enter service. A similar solution was also used for the construction of the Swedish signals intelligence vessel HMS Artemis where the hull was built in Poland while the outfitting of the vessel was carried out by the FRA in Karlskrona, Sweden. When the Luleå class enters service, they will be the largest ships in service in the Swedish Navy. Improved range and endurance were important factors for their length of over 100 meters. The Luleå class will be mainly equipped for air defense.