Joining NATO has prompted Sweden to consider rearming its army and navy with advanced, high-tech weaponry. In particular, the Swedes aim to elevate their submarine fleet to new levels of capability, preparing, as per Stockholm's strategic plans, to counter Russian ships in the Baltic Sea.
However, according to some assessments, this plan is faltering. The country's shipbuilding industry is in decline, and fulfilling critical military orders is proceeding far too slowly. Sweden has been building its next-generation submarines for nine years and expects completion only in about three more years at best.
A Legacy of Naval Decline
Sweden once boasted a formidable navy, but this was lost, along with other symbols of its past power, after a series of defeats in wars with Russia. Now, Stockholm believes in maintaining a compact yet capable navy to play a crucial role in NATO’s Baltic Sea presence.
Today, the Swedish navy is divided into three units. One of these includes three older submarines from the Södermanland and Gotland classes, built in the 1980s and 1990s.
A few years ago, Sweden’s navy planned to sell off its surplus “scrap” to fund fleet upgrades. In 2020, Polish media reported that prolonged negotiations had reached a final stage for Warsaw to acquire the Södermanland and Östergötland submarines. Each of these vessels is equipped with six 533-mm and three 400-mm torpedo tubes and was originally built between 1985 and 1990.
Though modernized in the early 2000s, Östergötland was decommissioned in 2011 and used for spare parts for Södermanland, which was slated for retirement in 2021 due to high refurbishment costs.
Poland's proposal to buy the aging submarines seemed highly lucrative for Stockholm. However, Warsaw ultimately abandoned its plans, leaving both aging submarines under the Swedish flag.
The Gotland Class and Beyond
Sweden also operates three slightly newer Gotland-class submarines (Gotland, Uppland, and Halland), commissioned in 1996. For their time, these were groundbreaking vessels— the first in the world equipped with air-independent Stirling engines, allowing them to remain submerged for weeks without surfacing.
The Gotland class is also capable of firing two torpedoes simultaneously from a single tube, targeting one or two different objects simultaneously. Between 2005 and 2007, the Gotland was leased to the U.S. Navy, where it successfully demonstrated the challenges posed by modern, ultra-quiet non-nuclear submarines. During exercises, it even "sank" the massive nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan.
Struggles with New Submarine Projects
As the Gotland fleet approaches 30 years of service, Sweden has naturally been exploring replacements. However, the journey to develop the next generation of submarines has been fraught with difficulties. The A26 project—proposed by Saab—was delayed by a declining shipbuilding industry and severe production inefficiencies.
Although Sweden placed an order in 2015 for two A26 submarines (later named Blekinge and Skåne), construction has been excruciatingly slow. Originally estimated at 8.2 billion Swedish krona, the cost has nearly doubled, with delivery now projected for 2027, if not later.
Stockholm’s inability to deliver modern submarines on schedule has also cast doubt on international interest in the A26 project. While both Poland and Finland have considered the design, they may ultimately turn to faster, more reliable shipbuilders.
For now, the state of Sweden’s submarine fleet remains a cautionary tale about the challenges of maintaining a modern navy in a declining industrial environment.
Source: Regnum
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