Swedish warships. Swedish Navy. Naval educational institutions
The Swedish company Kockums Naval Systems is working on a non-nuclear submarine under Project A26 with a displacement of 1,900 tons. Previously, in 1992-1996, it produced a series of three 1500-ton boats of the Gotland type with VNEU based on Stirling engines, providing a maximum diving time of 20 days. According to the Swedish project, in 1996-2003, 6 non-nuclear Collins-class submarines (displacement 3050 tons) were assembled for the Australian Navy; work on two Swedish Archer-class submarines (1400 tons) for the Singapore Navy is being completed. The submarine project received code A26. The main purpose of the new submarine will primarily be to conduct operations in coastal waters, but at the same time it will be able to perform tasks on the high seas...
In accordance with the published technical specifications, the underwater displacement of the A26 will be 1.9 thousand tons. The submarine's hull will be 63 meters long and 6.4 meters wide. The A26 will be equipped with four 530 mm torpedo tubes and one universal compartment for additional weapons. It is planned that the submarine’s crew will range from 17 to 26 people, and the A26’s cruising autonomy will reach several weeks. The new generation submarine will be diesel-stirling-electric. It will inherit this characteristic from the previous generation Gotland-class submarines in service with Sweden. These boats were the first in the world to use an air-independent Stirling engine. Presumably, the A26 will be able to reach speeds of up to 20 knots and up to five knots only using Stirling engines. At the same time, it will be able to carry out combat missions without surfacing to recharge the batteries for up to 20 days.
German industrial giant ThyssenKrupp and Swedish Saab have confirmed that they are negotiating the sale of the Swedish assets of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AB (TKMS AB), formerly known as Kockums. TKMS AB has been developing the new Swedish submarine A 26 since 2007, but a production contract has not yet been signed. As previously reported, price negotiations between TKMS and the Swedish government have reached an impasse, and Stockholm is concerned about ThyssenKrupp's refusal to authorize export sales of the A 26. The A 26 submarine is a potential competitor to ThyssenKrupp's other Project 218 NSSS program. In a statement released in mid-March 2014, FMV chief Lena Erixon said: "One of the reasons why FMV did not want to continue cooperation on the A 26 project with ThyssenKrupp - the company’s reluctance to allow the export of the submarine, which means a lack of opportunities for international cooperation. This is contrary to the country’s national interests in the field of shipbuilding, since in this situation Sweden is deprived of the opportunity to share the costs of developing and maintaining submarines with other countries.”
The Saab AB group, the new owner of the Swedish shipbuilding company Kockums, presented at the naval exhibition Euronaval 2014 a model of the promising non-nuclear submarine Project A26, which is being developed for the Swedish Navy.
According to the Swedish Navy, the new generation of submarines being developed under the A26 project, approved by the government and the Ministry of Defense of the country, must be equipped with improved sonar and surveillance equipment, since they can be used for reconnaissance. The submarines will be created using stealth technology. The list of technical requirements includes the mandatory use of an air-independent Stirling engine, a type of external combustion engine, on submarines. The use of such a power plant increases the survivability of the submarine and increases its chances of leaving the battlefield after receiving serious damage and failure of the main engine. In addition, the Stirling engine is characterized by almost silent operation. The disadvantages of such a power plant include the low speed that the submarine can develop - for Gotland class submarines this figure is five knots. It is expected that with the help of Stirling, Project A26 submarines will be able to reach speeds of up to seven knots.
The Swedish Parliament has approved the purchase of two new generation diesel-stirling-electric submarines of the A26 project for the country's Navy. The program to create such ships began in February 2010, and the submarines so far exist only on paper. The allocation of funds for the purchase of promising submarines will allow the Swedish company Kockums to conduct all the necessary research and begin construction of submarines. The new submarines are expected to be included in the Swedish Navy in 2018-2019 and will replace the outdated Sodermanland class submarines. These diesel-electric boats have been used by Sweden since 1989. Currently, the Scandinavian country's submarine fleet includes five submarines: three Gotland class and two Sodermanland class. According to preliminary data, by 2018 all Gotland class submarines will undergo modernization using the developments of the A26 project. After 2020, a decision may be made to replace all submarines in the Swedish submarine fleet with ships of the A26 project.
The Swedish Navy will acquire two new A26 submarines built by Saab Kockums, reported March 17, 2015. Both submarines will be delivered before 2022, the contract value is 8.2 billion Swedish kronor. These are new generation submarines, very high-tech, said Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist.
CHARACTERISTICS
Displacement, m: - surface 1,700 - underwater 1,860 - 1900
Length, m 63
Width, m 6.4
Main power plant: diesel-stirling-electric - DE-Gensets: 3 x 500 kW - Stirling AIP system Mk III: 3 x 65 kW
Full speed, knots 26
Submarine speed, knots 12
Submarine speed using Stirling engines, knots. 5 - 7
Immersion depth, m 200
Autonomy, days. 45
Endurance under water without ascent, days. until 18 - 20
Crew, persons 17 - 26
WEAPONS
4 x 533 mm torpedo tubes 533 mm, 400 mm torpedoes, mines
Weapons compartment 6 x 1.5 m
At the 11th international conference and specialized exhibition of naval equipment and weapons IMDEX Asia 2017, held in Singapore from 16 to 18 May 2017, the Swedish group Saab AB presented a new version of the promising non-nuclear submarine Project A26, which it is developing, equipped with vertical launchers, designed primarily to accommodate American Raytheon Tomahawk cruise missiles...
According to the model demonstrated at the exhibition, three six-round vertical launchers of a cylindrical type are placed in an additional compartment 10 m long in the central part of the A26 submarine. The displacement of the boat increases by 400-500 tons. According to a representative of the company developing the A26 project, Saab Kockums, part of Saab AB, launcher modules can be used to accommodate various weapons, and with the dismantling of the launchers themselves, also to accommodate equipment for combat swimmers, etc. However, Tomahawk missiles are unofficially called the main weapons for these launchers.
As you can understand, this version of the A26 boat with a VPU is intended not for the Swedish Navy, but for potential customers of the A26 project, who require cruise missiles in the armament of their promising submarines to attack ground targets. In Europe, Poland is first and foremost unofficially named as such potential customers, where Saab is actively working to promote the A26 project, acting in partnership with the leading Polish state defense holding Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ). The Polish Navy, as part of the Orka program, plans to acquire three non-nuclear submarines armed with cruise missiles, with the lead one entering service in 2024.
Let us recall that the Swedish defense procurement agency Försvarets Materielverk (FMV) in June 2015 signed a contract worth 7.6 billion Swedish kronor (about $1 billion) with the Saab AB group for the construction of two non-nuclear submarines of the A26 project for the Swedish Navy at Saab Kockums. which should be delivered to the Swedish fleet in 2022 and 2024. Project A26 boats designed for the Swedish Navy, developed since the 1990s, should be fairly large underwater ships with a displacement of about 2000 tons and a length of 63 m, equipped with an air-independent power plant using Stirling engines, and equipped in the bow, in addition to torpedo weapons, a special Multimission Portal (MMP) compartment with a diameter of 1.6 m to accommodate uninhabited or manned underwater vehicles or an additional number of torpedoes.
Sweden is carrying out a planned modernization of its navy, replacing ships built in the 1980s. One of them is the 62-meter reconnaissance ship A201 Orion, which entered the Royal Navy in 1984.
Obsolete Orion
The main task of the ship was to track Soviet warships. American designers took an active part in the development of Orion. The ship was equipped with the most modern reconnaissance equipment at that time.
Externally, the Swedish ship resembles a boat with a hangar occupying two-thirds of the deck. In professional terms, this is a radome that protects antennas and other instruments needed for intelligence collection from bad weather.
There is one curious incident associated with Orion. In 1985, during a Soviet naval exercise in Gdansk Bay, a Swedish reconnaissance ship collided with a Soviet-owned minesweeper.
The circumstances of the incident are still unknown. Obviously, Orion was monitoring the progress of maneuvers off the northwestern coast of Poland and the Kaliningrad region. Western media believe that the Soviet ship went to intercept and could have rammed the Swedish ship.
Eight years ago, Orion made a noble gesture towards Russia. In May 2009, a Swedish ship rescued two Russian fishermen in distress in the Baltic Sea.
In April 2010, the Swedish government declared Orion obsolete: the equipment installed in the 1980s could not fully meet modern requirements.
Using Stealth technology
The Swedish Ministry of Defense does not specify the name of the vessel, which should replace the Orion. The department's press release indicates that the new ship will be larger and heavier. The length of the steel hull will be 71 meters (for Orion it is 62 meters), and the displacement will be 2300 tons (for Orion it is 1400 tons).
The ship will be built at Saab AB's Kockums AB shipyard in Malmö. It is possible that the corporation will implement a fundamentally new project. At the moment, the Swedish fleet does not have a single ship with the characteristics declared by the Ministry of Defense.
Previously, the Visby-type corvettes were considered a revolutionary development of Saab AB. This is the world's first project of multi-purpose ships built using Stealth technology. Its essence is to reduce visibility for radars. This effect, important from a military point of view, is achieved using special geometric shapes and radio-absorbing materials.
The Visby is 73 meters long with a displacement of 640 tons. The weight of the ship was reduced through the use of multilayer plastic and reinforced carbon fiber in the design. The corvette is capable of conducting reconnaissance, hitting enemy aircraft, surface and underwater targets. All weapons are contained inside the side.
- Wikimedia
Surrounded by NATO
Not counting patrol boats, the Swedish Navy includes five Visby-class ships, 4 Göteborg-class ships, 2 Stockholm-class ships, 7 minesweepers (Landsort and Koster projects) and five submarines (Gotland and Östergötland projects). In total, the Swedish fleet includes 63 warships.
The largest vessel in the Swedish fleet is the 105-meter patrol ship Carlskrona (P04). 10 years ago, the Swedish Ministry of Defense planned to turn Carlskrona into a reconnaissance ship, but later it was decided to maintain its combat specialization.
Carlskrona is the only ship in the country capable of participating in long sea voyages. The tasks facing the Royal Navy are limited to the Baltic Sea. The Swedish Navy includes three flotillas and one amphibious regiment (similar to the Marine Corps).
Sweden is surrounded by NATO member countries (with the exception of Finland), and therefore the only potential enemy of the kingdom is Russia. The events in Ukraine in 2014 were perceived in Stockholm as an act of aggression on the part of Moscow. The Kingdom joined anti-Russian sanctions, thought about strengthening the Armed Forces and joining NATO.
- globallookpress.com
- Shi Tiansheng
The harsh anti-Russian course pursued by Norway has an influence on the political elite of Sweden. In recent years, the neighboring kingdom has been increasing its strike and reconnaissance capabilities with the support of the United States. Oslo does not exclude the possibility that the country will join the missile defense system being formed by the Pentagon.
Features of Swedish neutrality
Judging by the statements of Swedish politicians and publications in the local press, the degree of Russophobia in the kingdom is not as high as in Norway. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Sweden has pursued a policy of neutrality, trying not to get involved in disputes between great powers.
However, during the Cold War, Stockholm clearly played on the side of NATO and paid great attention to the combat readiness of the army, allocating five times more funds for its maintenance than today (5% of GDP).
At the moment, there has been no fundamental turn towards the alliance in Sweden. In articles about Russia, national media often ask readers the question: “Why would peaceful, neutral Sweden again enter into confrontation with Moscow?”
At the end of March 2017, the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet published an article stating that the Swedes’ fear of Russia’s military power was inspired mainly by historical events, in particular the wars of the 18th century. The material also talks about the groundlessness of alarmist sentiments associated with the ubiquitous “Russian submarines.”
"Too serious consequences"
Sweden occupies an advantageous geographical position to counter first the Soviet and then the Russian fleet. The island of Gotland, located at the crossroads of sea routes, has the greatest strategic importance. The Visby naval base is located on Gotland.
After the collapse of the USSR, the Baltic Fleet was divided into two parts: the first group is based in the Gulf of Finland, and the second, more numerous, is in Kaliningrad, which is an enclave.
From open data it follows that the Baltic Fleet includes 44 warships and two submarines, and the Swedish Navy has 58 ships and five submarines.
The editor-in-chief of the Army and Navy magazine, Dmitry Sheremetsky, believes that the activities of the Swedish Navy pose a certain danger to the Baltic Fleet, but it should not be exaggerated.
- Patrol ship Carlskrona (P04)
- Wikimedia
“The Swedes do not have large ships or powerful strike weapons. In this component they are much inferior to us. Yes, Sweden is a high-tech country. I mean the Visby project, but it is still impossible to say exactly what these corvettes are capable of, what their radar protection system and strike systems are worth,” explained RT Sheremetsky.
“The Swedes haven’t fought for about 200 years. All their military knowledge comes from textbooks and the results of NATO exercises. I also very much doubt the high motivation of the Swedish military. I don’t think they are ready to challenge us, much less arrange any kind of provocation. The consequences for them will be too serious,” says Sheremetsky.
The expert recalled that Sweden has not had a powerful fleet for almost 100 years, since it abandoned its great-power ambitions back in the 19th century. “Nothing has changed fundamentally since then, and it is unlikely that anything will change. Sweden has found its niche as a semi-neutral state, and this niche, as far as I can tell, suits everyone in the kingdom.”
I was often asked - why did Russia even begin the construction of the Baltic Fleet during the Northern War? After all, without its own maritime trade, the fleet is essentially not needed; it supposedly has no one to protect, and it costs a lot of money. With a light hand, even such a caste appeared - “flotophobes of the Mesozoic Peter the Great period.” The short slogan of these people is that the fleet is evil, a senseless drinker of the dough, and Peter is the main drinker of Russia, senseless in his tyranny and merciless.
I have already written quite a lot about the emergence of the fleets of England, Holland, France, and now I would like to suggest... Sweden. Yes, yes, you heard right, that same Sweden. After all, if the Swedish kings built a fleet without having their own significant maritime trade, then perhaps they are also drinkers, senseless and merciless?
In general, a fleet on a private basis appeared in Sweden in 1522 - it was then that the rebel provinces of Denmark hired 10 ships from the Hanseatic Lübeck to protect against Danish raids. By the way, Gustav Vasa paid a rather tidy sum for this hired detachment - 42,000 marks, which is equivalent to 10 barrels of silver. Where such money was found in the impoverished province of Denmark - history is silent. Nevertheless, it was with this mercenary unit that the history of the Swedish Navy began. Having become king, Vasa continued to take care of the fleet, and after his death (1560) the Swedish fleet consisted of up to 30 ships. Already here we see that the main task of the Swedish fleet is to protect its own coast from Danish raids. True, Denmark, torn apart by civil strife and religious unrest, did not have the strength for any landings, but who cared? By the way, this accusation is very often applied to Peter - they say that Sweden did not have the strength to launch landings in the Baltics, but here this crazy guy is building fleets. Let's then recognize Gkstava Vaza as crazy. He also built on the assumption that such an option was possible.
Oh, by the way, about Swedish maritime trade in 1522. She simply doesn't exist. Of course, someone would consider those dozen transport and trade lighters that plied between Lübeck, Stralsund and Stockholm to be a fairly large trade association, but to build about 30 warships for our sake???.. Hmm...
The trade of Sweden at that time was quite reminiscent of the trade of Russia during the time of Peter the Great. I - they sailed to Sweden for goods, most often for iron and copper.
Eric XIV , who ascended the throne, sharply accelerated the construction of the fleet, but at least used it for its intended purpose. Landings in Finland, the war with Estonia, the capture of Tallinn, that is, the fleet was used as an instrument of expansion. In 1566, the fleet consisted of 60 ships, with 2,000 cannons and 7,000 sailors. However, after Eric's death from Peter's fleet? All that was left were the horns and legs. He deigned in the highest order to rot.
Nevertheless, the Swedes began the real riveting of boats under the famous Gustav Adolf, and continued with Queen Christina and Charles X . True, this fleet either transported troops or sat in bases; it was not able to fight at all. Well, or almost at all, since a couple of victories over the Danes can still be remembered, but if you understand these battles, the Danes’ fault there seems to be no more than the inability of the Swedes. So, the composition of the fleet in 1644: 40 large ships, 40 galleys, 150 small ships (the so-called island or archipelagic fleet); Moreover - in 1678 Peter I Charles XI begins the construction of Pieterburg Karlskona, that is, the main fleet base, built exclusively for the fleet. The composition for 1697 was 37 battleships and 8 frigates.
Oh yes, we forgot about Swedish trade. She exists. But... how to put it mildly... it is concentrated in the perimeters of Sweden and the eastern part of the Baltic Sea, that is, Sweden trades with its conquered lands - Pomerania, the Baltic states, Finland, etc. Again, the basis for the country’s turnover is made by merchants who sail to Sweden themselves. By the way, the size of the Swedish merchant fleet in 1697 is truly amazing - 147 ships over 200 tons. For comparison, England had about 5,000 merchant ships in the same period. France has about 2,000 merchant ships. But all of them are simply dwarfs in comparison with Holland - up to 20,000 merchant ships.
The result of the Northern War is known to everyone - Sweden lost on all counts. Oh yes, some will say, it was Russia that lost, because Peter paid Sweden compensation for the Baltic states. By the way, where did the Swedes spend this money? After all, the country was rocked by inflation and almost a default. And... they used this money for the fleet. First of all, in 1726, a new stone dock was created in Pietersburg in Karlskon, where all ships were timbered. The galley fleet began to be built with increased energy (in 1756 it was separated from naval command and given to the generals, and became known as the “army fleet”), and 9 ships were purchased abroad.
By the way, Sweden’s maritime trade is still just as sad - it’s them who sail to them, not them. Well, here some will remember the Swedish East India Company - but I’ll just suggest looking at the date of its creation - 1731. And also remember that the Scots, not the Swedes, stood at its origins. Swedish West India Company - 1745. If we talk about the sad history of the Swedish African Company (1649) with all its 17 ships, it will be a sad and short story. The British, Danes, and Dutch quickly shut down this shop. Well, whoever wants to read it himself.
Captain 1st Rank V. Aksyonov
Geopolitical changes in the world, Europe, the Baltic countries and the Northern European region determine the gradual departure of the military-political leadership of Sweden from the traditional (officially proclaimed back in 1834) orientation towards the principles of neutrality. According to former Defense Minister Leni Bjorklund, “Sweden, having signed documents committing to follow the new security strategy of the European Union, must be prepared for a timely, rapid, and, if necessary, massive response to threats to the security of the country and the EU. An important component in solving these problems are the Royal Navy of the country." The commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad, sees this branch of the armed forces as “an instrument of an active international security policy.”
Historically, the Swedish Navy, which included the fleet and coastal defense units, was intended to protect the country's territory, conduct primarily defensive actions in inland and coastal waters (the coastline is about 2,700 km long), and also ensure freedom of navigation (up to 95% of the country's foreign trade is carried out on sea). The fleet did not have large warships capable of operating for a sufficiently long time at a distance from the bases; the main efforts were directed to the development of fortification facilities. In particular, the coastal artillery consisted of over 50 batteries, which were served by a third of the Navy personnel.
Currently, the military-political leadership of the country is implementing the concept of “accelerated transformation of the Armed Forces”, introduced by the directive of the Supreme Commander General Håkan Süren in 2004. As far as the Navy is concerned, construction and combat training activities are aimed at ensuring the country's security from the sea in the so-called far coastal zone, as well as close cooperation, cooperation and coordination of actions with the relevant military structures of the EU and NATO. The priority tasks are to create and jointly develop international standards for operational formations of rapid reaction forces (RRF). The naval component of the RRF must be ready to carry out, within the framework of multinational formations, the tasks of organizing a naval blockade in crisis areas, conducting reconnaissance, combating mine danger, as well as taking part in peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. The typical composition of the operational groups of the Swedish Navy RBU includes two missile boats (RKA) of the Gothenburg or Stockholm type, two mine-sweeping ships of the Landsort type with control and support vessels, a Gotland-type submarine, as well as an amphibious landing group of up to 400 people.
The activities of the Swedish Navy in the far coastal zone, which, according to local military experts, includes archipelagos, bays, straits, shallow waters, as well as harbors and the coast with its transport infrastructure, are significantly complicated by the high intensity of shipping, difficult hydrographic and hydroacoustic conditions. Therefore, all operational formations of the fleet and marines should, according to the calculations of the command, “light, mobile, inconspicuous and have great lethal power and flexibility in combat use.”
Naval personnel. The fleet includes five diesel submarines (DPL), a midget submarine, five corvettes, six missile and 12 patrol boats, five minelayers and nine mine countermeasures ships, more than 250 boats, including five catamaran-type minesweeper boats with remote control, four boats - a director of sonar buoys, two boats - minelayers and transport-landing boats. In addition, there are about 100 small (displacement up to 2 tons) auxiliary boats of type G (Gruppbat). The auxiliary fleet includes more than 20 vessels for various purposes (including three mother ships, two transports, a reconnaissance ship, a submarine rescue vessel, three for diving support, two for missile test launches and an ocean tug). The performance characteristics of ships, boats and vessels are given in the table.
The size of the Navy is about 5 thousand people, including more than 2 thousand officers (of which about 90 are women).
Based system. A characteristic feature of the Swedish Navy's basing system is the presence in skerry areas of the coast of fortified or rock shelters for ships, control posts, warehouses, workshops, as well as a network of anchorages and equipped berths in numerous ports.
The national navy uses the Karlskrona naval base and the Muskö base. PB Härnösand, Gothenburg, Malmö and Fårösund are mothballed.
Naval Base Karlskrona(in the depths of the skerry area, next to the large Karlskronavarvet shipyard and testing grounds) has a berth front of 4 km, depths at the walls of up to 10 m.
PB Muskyo(on the island of the same name in Horsefjord, 40 km south of Stockholm) has a berth length of over 5 km, a depth at the walls of up to 12 m and is equipped with a system of underground (up to 30 m) rock shelters with three dry docks, a slipway, and tunnels , connecting it with the mainland. There are also office, storage and residential premises here.
PB Härnösand is located on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, has a ship repair yard, a berth front of up to 1 km, depth at the walls of about 7 m.
PB Gothenburg (at the mouth of the Göta Älv river in the Kattegat Strait), is also the country's largest oil, container and ferry hub, shipbuilding and repair center. There are 12 harbors, about 100 berths, with a total length of over 20 km with depths at the walls of up to 20 m, allowing for ships of all classes, including aircraft carriers.
PB Malmö located on the southwestern coast of Sweden in the Skagerrak Strait, south of the port of Landskrona.
In the northeastern part of the island. Gotland is located in the Fårösund PB, which provides for the parking and servicing of warships with a displacement of up to a URO corvette, as well as missile and patrol boats.
The largest ports suitable for parking and repairing warships and boats are Landskrona, Norrköping, Helsingborg, Oskarshamn, Sundsvall and others.
Organizational structure of the Navy. In 1998, with the reorganization of the country's highest military command system, a number of official responsibilities of commanders of the armed forces were abolished, which were transferred to chief inspectors. In particular, the Navy inspector is responsible for developing and verifying the implementation of regulatory documents on combat training, organizing control over the testing and adoption of new types of weapons and military equipment.
The leadership of the naval forces is carried out by: operational - the commander of the tactical command of the Navy, administrative - the inspector of the Navy (subordinate to the head of the department of training and daily activities of troops of the command of the Swedish Armed Forces).
The fleet consists of a flotilla of submarines and two flotillas of surface ships.
Submarine forces The flotilla (headquarters at the Karlskrona naval base) has three submarines of the Gotland type with an air-independent propulsion system (VNDU) and two of the Södermanland type (formerly of the Västergötland type, equipped with VNDU during modernization). For the first time, such an installation (Tillma Sterling, operating on liquid oxygen), which allows increasing the time spent underwater by 5 times compared to a conventional submarine, was equipped with the Nakken submarine in 1988, and in 1996, 1997 and 1998 - serial submarines of the "Gotland" type ("Gotland", "Uppland" and "Halland"). The emergence in this regard of new opportunities for long-term reconnaissance and special operations meets the intentions of the command of the Swedish Armed Forces to reorient itself from conducting traditional combat operations for this type of armed forces to “participation in international operations, for example, the landing and return of reconnaissance and sabotage groups.”
The Gotland submarine is currently leased to the US Navy and has been at the San Diego naval base since June 2005, where it provides training for tactical techniques for combating American anti-submarine forces against such submarines, including in coastal and shallow water areas.
Plans for the development of submarine forces include: the construction by 2012 of two submarines with VNDU under the joint Viking project with Denmark and Norway, as well as the development of more effective types of missile and mine-torpedo weapons, equipping submarines with autonomous or remotely controlled underwater vehicles for various purposes , and in the future - the creation of a multifunctional submarine of a modular design (with replaceable sections-compartments containing, for example, fuel tanks, blocks with surface-to-surface missiles, etc.).
The fleet's surface forces include two flotillas of surface ships - the 3rd (Karskrona naval base) and the 4th (PB Muskö), which consist of divisions of corvettes and minesweepers. The 32nd corvette division includes the Visby-class corvettes entering service with the fleet (currently there are two - Visby and Helsingborg). Missile boats (corvettes according to the Swedish classification) of the Stockholm (two) and Gothenburg (four) types are consolidated into the 31st (Stockholm, Malmo and Kalmar) and 41st (Gothenburg, " Gävle" and "Sundsvall") divisions.
The 33rd and 42nd divisions of mine-sweeping ships include the minelayer Karlskrona (33 days), minesweepers of the Landsort type (seven) and minesweepers of the Styrsø type (four), as well as boats : four Eidern-type sonobuoy operators and five SAM catamaran-type minesweepers with remote control. Each division has a group of submarine miners.
In addition, the flotillas include the floating bases Trosso (3rd flotilla) and Wisborg (4th).
Modern Visby-class guided missile corvettes are designed primarily for operations in coastal areas and are the most combat-ready among the fleet's surface forces. They can solve a whole range of combat missions: combating submarines and surface ships, the threat of mines, launching missile attacks on enemy coastal targets, ensuring the protection of sea communications, as well as participating in blockade operations from the sea and peacekeeping operations. Currently, two corvettes of this type (Hernösand and Nyköping) are at different stages of sea trials, and in 2007 they will be joined by the last ship in the series, the fifth (Karlstad).
When developing a project for a ship of this type using stealth technology (total cost 1.2 billion US dollars), the experience of building and operating minesweepers of the Styrsø and Landsort types, as well as the experimental skeg-type hovercraft missile boat Smüge, was used. During the 10-year design and construction process, Karlskronavarvet used the latest technologies to reduce acoustic, visual, infrared and radar signature, as well as reduce the ability to detect the ship's own physical fields, including using laser devices, by wake and hydrostatic pressure.
Plans for the development of this type of naval force provide for the creation of the next generation of ships to replace (in 2010-2020) the Stockholm and Gothenburg class RKAs. These will be corvette-class ships with a displacement of up to 2,000 tons, capable of performing missions not only in coastal waters, but also in ocean areas as part of multinational forces.
Mine-resistant ships of the Landsort and Stursø types were built at the end of the last century using modern technologies, equipped and continue to be equipped with the latest equipment for detecting, pinpointing, identifying, classifying and neutralizing sea mines of various types. On board the ships are teams of submarine miners who previously undergo comprehensive training at their base in Gullmarsfjorden, as well as towed and/or autonomous mine remote detection equipment.
Landing ships. Three landing ships (Bore, Heimdal and Grim) were built in the 1960s and withdrawn from the fleet in 2002. They are planned to be replaced by modern ships capable of ensuring the landing of a reinforced Swedish Marine battalion during an amphibious landing operation. Landing boats are used as landing craft, of which there are up to 250 units in the fleet (mainly types Strb SV 90H/HS/E, Tpbs 200 and Trossbat).
With the creation of a full-fledged MP group by 2014 and equipping it with armored vehicles, the acquisition of larger landing ships and new air-cushion landing craft will be required. In particular, joint exercises with NATO of Swedish marine units of the Strong Resolve 2002 type (with landing from the American landing ship Tortuga, and later from the Dutch Rotterdam) and regular participation in maneuvers are aimed at practicing actions in modern conditions. "Baltops" and "Cooperative Banners", as well as the creation in 2006 of the Swedish-Finnish amphibious task force.
Increased attention is paid to the formation of groups of vessels to support surface, submarine and amphibious forces at sea when they perform combat missions in distant coastal zones.
Formations of missile and mine-sweeping boats in the near future will likely retain their traditional purpose and combat composition.
Amphibious forces, previously intended primarily for coastal defense of 2,700 km of coastline and over 25 thousand islands of national origin, are currently experiencing a period of formation for solving other tasks, including conducting reconnaissance and sabotage operations deep in enemy defenses using high-speed sea transport - landing craft.
They represent an amphibious regiment, on the basis of which an amphibious brigade consisting of three battalions can be formed. Each battalion is intended to operate both independently and in cooperation with units of other branches of the naval forces, units of the ground forces, aviation and some civilian departments.
Organizationally, the amphibious battalion of the Marine Corps (total number of personnel is about 800 people) includes four companies (headquarters, amphibious and two coastal rangers), a mortar battery and a combat control group.
The headquarters company (175 people, three platoons: headquarters, reconnaissance, support) solves the tasks of conducting reconnaissance in the interests of the battalion (three squads of reconnaissance divers), as well as various types of support.
The amphibious company (145 people, three platoons: headquarters, support, mine action, and a missile battery) is equipped with remote-controlled underwater surveillance and mine detection systems, as well as short-range missiles. The 50-person missile battery has 24 RBS-17 Hellfire short-range anti-ship missiles.
A company of coastal rangers (180 people, four platoons: a headquarters platoon and three platoons of 50 people each) is intended mainly to combat enemy landings. The Jaeger platoon organizationally includes five sections: three rifle, machine gun (four 12.7 mm machine guns) and anti-tank (four 84 mm Carl Gustav RPGs). To solve specific problems, groups of rangers of six to eight people are formed from the ranger platoons.
The mortar battery (100 people, three platoons: headquarters and two mortars) is armed with eight nationally produced 81-mm M84 mortars and is the main fire support unit of the battalion.
The combat control group (up to 20 people), maintaining contact with the command, coordinates the actions of all units of the marine battalion.
In addition, the amphibious force includes a division of patrol boats consisting of 12 Tupper-class boats and two former minelayers (Arkesund and Grundsund), acting as control ships. In the interests of the amphibious forces, patrol boats of the Kaparen type and a former minesweeper of the Viksten type, which are in reserve, can also be used.
Naval Aviation. In 1998, as a result of the reorganization of the helicopter squadrons available in the country's armed forces, one wing of combat and auxiliary helicopters was formed (headquarters in Linköping), within which tasks in the interests of the Navy are performed by helicopters stationed at the air bases of Berg (near Stockholm), Seve (Gothenburg) and Ronneby: 11 AS.332 "Super Puma" (Swedish designation Nkr-10), 14 "Boeing Vertol/Kawasaki-107" (Hkp-4C/D), eight "Agusta-109M" (Nkr-15) and 10 NH -90 (Nkr-14). It is planned to increase the number of Agusta-109M helicopters to 20 by 2008 (including eight intended for deployment on Visby-class corvettes), and by 2009 to complete the purchase of NH-90 medium transport and landing helicopters (18 in total) , having modern on-board aviation equipment and weapons, including torpedoes. At the same time, by 2009, all Nkr-4 helicopters will be withdrawn from service.
Recruitment and combat training. The Navy is recruited in accordance with the law “On Mandatory Participation in Total Defense” adopted in 1994, according to which Swedish male citizens aged 18 to 47 years can be called up for active military service.
The duration of military service, depending on the military specialty, is 10-18 months. In addition to conscription, recruitment can also be carried out on a voluntary basis by male and female citizens aged 18 to 24 years.
Active military service in the Navy usually includes three stages: initial training, special training and service in combat units.
Special training for enlisted personnel involves mastering a military specialty and is carried out for 10-15 weeks in appropriate schools or training centers. Candidates for non-commissioned officers and reserve officers are trained in their specialty for 20-30 weeks.
Service on ships or in coastal defense units for up to 10 weeks (for the first category) and 20-25 weeks (for the second and third) is the final stage of active military service.
Combat coordination of units and tactical groups of the Navy branches is carried out during exercises and practical exercises of various sizes.
After completing active military service, those liable for military service are enlisted in the reserve (reserve) and assigned to a specific military unit. During their stay in the reserve (the age limit for a reservist is 47 years), those liable for military service, as a rule, are called up for training (for 20-30 days) for retraining once every two to three years.
The selection of officer candidates during conscript service is based on the results of tests on theoretical and physical training developed by the Research Center of the Ministry of Defense, the recruiting center and the headquarters of the Navy.
Training of career officers is carried out at the Naval School (Karlskrona). The training period for career officers is two years, for reserve officers - one year; upon graduation, graduates receive the primary officer rank of fenrik (junior lieutenant) and are sent to combat units, where they must serve for at least a year. After three to five years of service, future “career officers” can enter the Naval High School in Stockholm, completing a 12-month course of study in which they receive the rank of lieutenant. The course program includes mastering weapon systems, studying the basics of staff work and other related disciplines.
After another three to five years of service in units, officers have the right to study at a military college, also in Stockholm, with subsequent assignment to the military rank of captain.
Training of senior officers to captain 3/2 rank (commander-dor-captain/erlogs-captain) and major/lieutenant colonel of the Marine Corps is carried out at one of two special courses at the National College of the Armed Forces. Stockholm. Here, for two years, students study and practically practice a wide range of disciplines, in particular operational art and military strategy. Upon completion of the first of the special courses, officers are appointed to the position of commander of a 3rd rank ship or company (amphibious forces). Officers who successfully complete the second special course can be appointed to the positions of commanders of ships of the 2nd rank, coastal facilities, or to a staff position corresponding to their military rank.
Along with such a four-stage officer career, military personnel have the opportunity to consistently improve their qualifications in their chosen specialty in one or another field of military activity.
According to the leadership of the Swedish Navy, the existing procedure for serving as enlisted men and officers makes it possible to effectively staff combat and reserve units and units, and for the command to identify candidates for further promotion.
Internationally, units of the Swedish Marine Corps took an active part in UN peacekeeping operations (Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Liberia), and representatives of the country's military-industrial complex - in the implementation of defense programs of the Baltic countries, in particular the supply of weapons and military equipment, the creation of a consolidated minesweeper division (BALTRON ) etc.
The main directions for improving the Navy and the capabilities of the military-industrial complex. In connection with joining the EU in 1995, to date, almost all major Swedish military-industrial complex companies have become the property of European and American corporations. As a member country of the Six Party Agreement (along with Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain), Sweden is participating in the process of restructuring the military-industrial complex of European countries.
The command of the Swedish Navy intends to improve this type of armed forces in six priority areas: bringing the command information and control system to NATO standards, creating, modernizing or acquiring modern surface, mine-sweeping, amphibious ships, submarines and helicopters.
The first direction of work is being carried out by the SAAB Systems company, upgrading the CETRIS system already installed on three URO corvettes, which includes a number of interfaces (digital data transmission, friend-foe identification, infrared detection/tracking, communications and electronic warfare). It is planned to install equipment for digital data transmission systems "Link-11/16/22".
Shipbuilding programs It is mainly sold by the country's largest company, Kokums (headquarters in Karlskrona, shipyards in Karlskrona and Malmo), founded in 1679. URO corvettes of the Visby type with a fiber-carbon hull, multi-purpose mine-sweeping ships of the Landsort and Styrso types, submarines of the Gotland type and the new A26 project - all were built and are being built at the factories of this company. Now it is part of the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems group consortium (Hamburg), which also unites the German companies Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft (Kiel), Nobiskrug (Rendsburg), Blom und Voss" (Hamburg), "Nordseewerke" (Emden) and "Hellenic Shipyards" (Scaramanga, Greece).
Landing boats of the Strb-90H type (Stridsbat-90H, export designation SV 90Н - Combat Boat 90Н) were built in large series at the Dokstavarvet and Gotlandsvarvet shipyards, including for export to Norway, Greece, Malaysia and Mexico. Preparations are underway for serial production of the SV 2010 type amphibious landing boat.
Missile and artillery weapons for the Navy are created at the factories of the Bo-Force Defense company, which is owned by the American United Defense. Modern samples: anti-ship missiles RBS-15 Mk3, gun mounts of 40 and 57 mm calibers are entering service with both Swedish and foreign warships and boats.
The latest torpedo weapons (light torpedoes type 45 and heavy torpedoes type 62) are supplied to the fleet by SAAB Underwater Systems.
The plan for improving helicopter aviation provides for the purchase of light helicopters of the Agusta 109 type LUHS (Light Utility Helicopter Sweden), both ship-based and shore-based, as well as medium multi-purpose helicopters of the NH-90 type. Sweden is participating in a joint project to develop the NH-90 under the Nordic Standard Helicopter Program.
Thus, the medium-term plans for the development of the Navy provide for the continuation of work on the joint Viking project to create a new submarine with an air-independent propulsion system by 2012, the commissioning of another Visby-class guided missile corvette into the fleet in 2007, completion by 2014 year of the formation of amphibious battalions with their retrofitting with landing boats of the SV 90N and SV 2010 types, the development of the latest weapons and military equipment, the introduction of command and control information systems, as well as a number of other activities.
Like the defense departments of other European countries, the command of the Swedish Navy is faced with the need to reduce military spending, in particular the conservation and/or conversion of high-cost coastal infrastructure (numerous fortifications, rock shelters and slips, fortified missile and artillery positions, command posts and communication centers , ship repair industry facilities, warehouses, etc.). Taking into account the experience of a number of European states (for example, Albania, on whose territory about 750 thousand long-term reinforced concrete firing positions were built between 1950 and 1970), Swedish experts expect to effectively use the funds saved due to this and the opportunities that arose due to the end of the Cold War. .
Along with equipping the fleet with the latest types of weapons and military equipment, the command of the Swedish Navy plans in the coming years to consistently reduce the number of personnel, the number of coastal defense facilities, and remove obsolete submarines, surface ships and boats from the fleet, while pursuing the goal of optimizing the ship's composition , aviation fleet and structure of the Marine Corps, primarily in the interests of ensuring the security of the country from maritime directions in the far coastal zone.
The Baltic and Black Sea fleets were the main Russian fleets until the mid-twentieth century. However, with the onset of the Cold War, they quickly lost their strategic importance, as they ended up in “bottles whose caps are in the hands of NATO.” Therefore, two ocean fleets became the main ones - the Northern and the Pacific. In the post-Soviet period, the situation worsened even more, since the Northern Fleet and Pacific Fleet completely retained their “subordinate” coastline and system of bases, while the Baltic Fleet and Black Sea Fleet suffered very serious losses in this regard. The main base of the Black Sea Fleet ended up abroad, and the main base of the Baltic Fleet was in the small Kaliningrad enclave.
Nevertheless, the further fates of the fleets developed differently. The Black Sea Fleet is still in a fever, its fate is not obvious. The Baltic Fleet, in a sense, is the most prosperous of the Russian fleets. Firstly, it is based in the most calm, comfortable and developed (compared to other fleets) regions of the Russian Federation. Secondly, it is in his area of responsibility that the main shipbuilding base of post-Soviet Russia falls (therefore, he gets the newest and most modern ships). Thirdly, although formally the Baltic Fleet is located in the very “den of NATO”, in reality it is in its theater of military operations (TVD) that the geopolitical situation is the calmest, and the likelihood of war is, in fact, zero.
The "freshest" fleet
Today the Baltic Fleet includes 3 submarines (2 - Project 877, both under repair, 1 newest Project 677), 2 destroyers Project 956 (both under repair), 2 of the most modern patrol ships in the Russian Navy, Project 11540, 3 the latest corvettes, Project 20380, 8 small anti-submarine ships (MPC) Project 1331 (built in the late GDR), 4 small missile ships (SMRs) Project 12341, 7 missile boats Project 12411, 20 minesweepers, 4 BDK Project 775 ( including 1 775M), 2 landing hovercraft (DKVP) pr. 12322. The Baltic Fleet is the youngest of the four Russian fleets, there is not a single unit built even in the 70s, only 3 ships were built before 1985
The newest submarine, Project 677, was introduced into the fleet purely conditionally, since it has very serious problems with its propulsion system. And the corvettes pr. 20 380 are not at all clear why they were built. They have too strong strike weapons to be patrol ships, and too weak air defense (and anti-aircraft defense - generally zero) for a “normal” war. However, in the geopolitical conditions in which the Baltic Fleet is located, all this cannot be considered a big problem.
The theoretical competitors of the Baltic Fleet in its theater of operations are 6 NATO countries and 2 neutral countries that closely cooperate with NATO. Nevertheless, the threat from them is purely virtual, both due to the total reduction of their fleets, and, what is much more important, due to their complete unwillingness to fight.
The German Navy is the most powerful enemy
The German Navy (Bundesmarine) has less than 50 combat units. The submarine fleet includes 4 submarines of Project 212 (2 more are under construction), which became the world's first submarines with an air-independent power plant. In addition, 5 decommissioned submarines of Project 206 are in storage (they will either be sold or sent for scrapping). Today the Germans have 13 frigates - 3 of the newest Sachsen type, 4 modern Brandenburg type and 6 old Bremen type (2 more ships of this type have been withdrawn from the Navy and may be sold, followed by the rest " Bremen"). In addition, the Bundesmarine has 5 Braunschweig-class corvettes, 8 Gepard-class missile boats (2 more Gepards and 2 older Albatrosses are in storage, which serve as a source of spare parts for the surviving boats) and 20 minesweepers (10 Ave. 332, 5 Ave. 333, 5 Ave. 352). The German fleet has zero amphibious capabilities and is unable to strike targets inland.
Polish Navy - the oldest fleet
The Polish Navy has 5 submarines - 1 Soviet-built Project 877 and 4 Norwegian "Cobben" type (another such submarine is used as a coastal station for training cadets). The surface fleet includes 2 former American frigates of the Oliver Perry class, the corvette Kazhub, 5 missile boats (3 built in the GDR of the Orkan type and 2 Soviet Project 1241T; another 2 of the same boats have been decommissioned and are in storage), 19 minesweepers and 5 medium landing ships of the Lublin type. Anti-ship missiles (ASMs) are armed only with frigates and missile boats, and these are missiles of three different types: the frigates have the Harpoon, the Project 1241T has the P-20, and the Orkans have the Swedish RBS-15.
Ambitious plans to build a series of new corvettes were canceled due to budget constraints. For this reason, the prospects for the Polish fleet are now generally very vague: all of its ships were built before 1995 (“Cobbens” - generally in the 60s), this is the oldest fleet in the Baltic. Apart from the Orkans, all of its ships and boats should be decommissioned in the coming years; no replacement is foreseen.
Danish Navy - five combat-ready units
Denmark, from a geographical point of view, belongs to the North Sea, but in the Baltic it has Bornholm, so it can also be included among the Baltic countries. The Navy has traditionally been considered the main type of armed forces in Denmark and has had significant combat power. In particular, already in 1909 a submarine fleet appeared in the country. In the late 80s, unique modular corvettes of the Fluvefisken type were created here, which, depending on the installed weapons, could be missile ships, patrol ships, or minesweepers. And already in the 21st century, the Danish fleet included no less unique ships of the Absalon type, which have the firepower of a frigate (Harpoon anti-ship missiles, 127 mm gun) and at the same time are landing ships (can carry 4 landing boats and up to 7 Leopard-2 tanks).
However, recent budget cuts have inflicted more casualties on the Danish fleet than any enemy. In particular, all 3 remaining submarines were removed from its composition and turned into museums. Only 5 units have real combat potential: 2 of the above-mentioned Absalon-class ships and 3 Iver Hütfeldt-class frigates. 4 Tethys-class frigates do not have missile weapons and, in fact, are patrol ships. There are also 2 patrol ships of the Knud Rasmussen type and 1 of the Fluvefisken type (another 10 are in storage). There are 6 patrol boats and 10 small minesweepers.
The navies of the Baltic countries can be neglected
The Lithuanian Navy has 3 Danish-built patrol ships of the Fluvefisken type, 1 former Norwegian missile boat Storm, which does not have missiles and is used as a patrol boat, 1 former Norwegian minesweeper, 2 former English minesweepers of the Hunt type and 1 former German minesweeper Lindau-class minesweeper. None of these ships and boats have any missile weapons.
In the early 90s, Lithuania received from Russia 2 MPK pr. 1124 (they became payment for the Lithuanians’ construction of housing for officers in the Kaliningrad region), which were classified as frigates in its Navy. Lithuania was going to sell them to Georgia, but after the August 2008 war, NATO introduced an unspoken but extremely strict embargo on the sale of any weapons to Georgia, so both ships were scrapped.
The Latvian Navy includes a former Norwegian minesag (similar to the Lithuanian one), 5 former Dutch minesweepers, 2 former Norwegian Storm-class missile boats (like in Lithuania, they do not have anti-ship missiles and are used as patrol boats) and a dozen coast guard boats armed only with machine guns.
The Estonian Navy consists of three former British Sandown-class minesweepers. The only Danish-built frigate (essentially a patrol ship that did not have missiles) was decommissioned due to lack of funding and will apparently return to Denmark, where it will be scrapped.
Thus, the fleets of all three Baltic countries are such only formally. In fact, they are only suitable for protecting the economic zone in peacetime. In the event of war, their combat value (even total) is zero (especially since these countries do not also have combat aircraft).
In general, of the six NATO fleets, only the German one is a serious force by the standards of this theater of war. The Danish Navy is too small, the Polish Navy is too old, and the Baltic fleets are generally a fiction.
Swedish Navy vessel Trossoe accompanied by a German boat. Photo: Heribert Proepper/AP
The Swedish Navy is the most modern
The Swedish Navy includes three dozen units. The submarine fleet includes 3 Gotland-class submarines and 2 Västergötland-class submarines (Södermanland). In addition, 3 Nakken-class submarines are in storage. The surface forces are represented by corvettes of the Stockholm (2), Gothenburg (2, 2 more withdrawn and offered for sale), Visby (2, 3 more are being modernized and tested) and Landsort-class minesweepers (7) and "Stirsyo" (4). All Swedish submarines, ships and boats are built in Sweden according to their own designs and are traditionally of very high quality.
In general, long-term neutrality only benefited Sweden. Since the country had no one to rely on, it built very effective aircraft itself. Moreover, along with the USA, USSR, China and France, it was one of the five countries in the world that made almost all weapons for their armed forces (with rare unprincipled exceptions) themselves. The country had a system of universal conscription, reminiscent of the Swiss (militia army with a short duration of military service, but regular retraining). But after the end of the Cold War, Stockholm became noticeably closer to NATO, taking part in the alliance’s Afghan and Libyan operations. Perhaps the consequence of this was that Sweden was affected by the pan-European trends in the degradation of the armed forces and their loss of combat capability (this fact was recently openly recognized by the Swedish command). An extremely symptomatic step was the recent abolition of conscription and the transition to a “professional army,” which automatically led to a noticeable decrease in its numbers and a drop in the level of training.
Finnish Navy - for border protection
The Finnish Navy is based on 8 missile boats - 4 each of the Rauma and Hamina types. They are armed with RBS-15 anti-ship missiles, and the Hamina-type boats have such exotic equipment as the South African Umkhonto-type air defense systems. In addition, there are 6 mines and 13 minesweepers, as well as several dozen landing boats.
Thus, the Baltic Fleet today is quite adequate to the situation in its theater of operations, and there is no tendency for the situation to worsen. Quite the opposite. The rate of renewal of the BF is low, but among our neighbors, including even the Germans, it is even lower.