Article Summary: Sweden’s Blekinge-class submarines, set to enter service by 2028, represent a major leap in undersea warfare with advanced stealth, air-independent propulsion (AIP), and Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) launch capabilities.
-Built by Saab Kockums, the submarines will operate quietly in both coastal and open waters, enhancing Sweden’s ability to counter Russian naval threats.
-The use of GHOST technology for extreme quieting and reinforced hulls for underwater explosions further increases survivability.
-With the integration of UUVs for surveillance and strike missions, these submarines will provide Sweden with a formidable naval edge, leveraging cutting-edge technology to operate undetected in hostile waters.
-Sweden’s Blekinge-class submarines bring cutting-edge stealth, UUVs, and AIP technology to naval warfare. Here’s why they matter in the Baltic Sea.
Why Sweden’s Blekinge-Class Submarines Are Game-Changers
Fast, quiet, and able to launch undersea drones are just a few qualities of the highly anticipated Swedish Royal Navy’s Blekinge-class submarines, an emerging class of new attack boats slated to join the fleet by 2028.
The development of these new submarines is marked by years of uncertainty and change, as various countries, such as Germany, have considered collaboration and dual construction.
As a result, development operated with many stops and starts, ultimately resulting in delays in the boat’s delivery.
Germany’s ThyssenKrupp acquired Kockums, the submarine’s builder. This acquisition spurred considerations of a collaborative German-Swedish effort to build the submarines.
Initially, the Swedish government refused to collaborate, ultimately ordering two submarines.
Then, Kockums became part of a Swedish company called Saab Kockums, and the submarines have been in development ever since.
The delivery dates have shifted back several times, changing from 2022 to 2028 for various reasons, yet the boats are nonetheless highly anticipated.
The new Blekinge-class submarines are intended as an upgraded variant of Sweden’s Gotland-class submarine, a group of boats that have been approaching obsolescence for many years.
Interestingly, the Blekinge-class submarines will operate with an ultra-quiet Air Independent Propulsion system for close-in coastal attacks and large, open, or “blue-water” maritime warfare.
Blekinge-Class Come from a Proud Tradition
There is tactical and strategic value in Sweden’s operation of ultra-quiet submarines along the Russian coastline in the Baltic Sea, as the new boats could perform reconnaissance, undersea targeting, and attack operations in a major conflict with Russia.
Given its AIP quieting technology, the Swedish boat is likely to be highly effective against Russian surface ships and capable of rivaling Russia’s advanced fleet of AIP-driven submarines.
The Blekinge-class submarines are also being built with what is called Genuine Holistic Stealth (GHOST) for additional quieting capability and special reinforcement to enable the boat to survive underwater explosions.
The most cutting-edge element of the Blekinge-class is the extent to which its torpedo tubes will launch and recover Unmanned UnderSea Vehicles, something of great tactical significance.
Submarine-launched drones able to deploy from beneath the surface can massively increase a boat’s stealth characteristics and minimize detection possibilities by not having to surface.
Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV)
There is a wide range of UUVs under development by the United States Navy, and it may not yet be clear what undersea drones the Swedish are planning. However, the possibilities are wide-ranging.
Submarine tube-launched underwater drones could be used for high-risk surveillance missions searching for mines, enemy submarines, and surface ships without placing host submarines in jeopardy of attack.
Tube-launched undersea drones could also be armed with weapons and be programmed to approach and attack a specific enemy ship or submarine when directed by a human.
UUVs can, therefore, operate as weapons and be sent to fire upon or explode an enemy ship or submarine without giving away the location of the host submarine.
The challenge with undersea drones is simply one of transport layer communication and data transmission.
The US Navy, for example, continues to make breakthroughs in developing technologies able to send and transmit sensor data obtained by UUVs enabling a tetherless “real-time” information exchange.
It can be quite difficult undersea as most RF signals do not work under the surface, so UUVs typically have to gather information and then upload data upon return to the host ship.
This is, however, changing quickly as innovations continue to uncover new technologies capable of real-time data transmission under the water.
For example, the US Navy’s Barracuda UUV is programmed to wirelessly detect, verify, and explode an enemy mine in real-time without human intervention.
Sweden’s Submarines: A Photo Essay
Gotland-class submarine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Gotland-class Submarine.
Image of Gotland-class Submarine.
Gotland-class Submarine.
Gotland-class Submarine.
Gotland-class Submarine. Image: Creative Commons.
About the Author: Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is the Military Technology Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
