The Royal Swedish Navy’s (RSwN’s) A19 Gotland-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK) HSwMS Halland has been re-launched after completing mid-life upgrade (MLU) work.
The work, which was undertaken at Saab Kockums’ shipyard in Karlskrona, southern Sweden, concludes the MLU activity being undertaken on the three A19 SSKs – Halland, plus sister submarines HSwMS Gotland and HSwMS Uppland. After their respective MLU periods, Gotland returned to service in 2019, with Uppland following in 2020.
“The launch [of Halland] marks an important step in Sweden’s submarine capability,” said Saab, in a statement. “The upgrade means that Halland will be able to carry out maritime missions for many years to come with new capabilities.”
The MLU programme for the three SSKs includes technologies and systems of the same type that will be fitted to the RSwN’s forthcoming A26 Blekinge-class SSKs. In the statement, Saab said more than 20 key systems onboard Halland were replaced, including sensors and command systems.
The RSwN’s submarine capability – the boats, systems, and submariners – is optimised for Baltic Sea operations, and adds much value at a national – and, now, NATO – level through bringing specialist platforms, experience, and knowledge. This capability is crucial in terms of traditional submarine missions like anti-submarine warfare (ASW). In 2024, an A19 boat – Gotland – participated for the first time in NATO Maritime Command’s North Atlantic-focused ASW exercise, ‘Dynamic Mongoose’. The RSwN’s submarine capability is also crucial in terms of emerging submarine missions, such as countering threats to critical underwater infrastructure (CUI) on the seabed. The Baltic Sea region has seen a spate of CUI-related incidents since September 2022.
“Securing CUI and sea lanes is more important than ever,” Mats Wicksell, Head of Saab’s Kockums business area, said in the statement. “With Halland, the Swedish Navy – and, by extension, NATO – is given additional muscle to defend and monitor the Baltic Sea.”
Through operating both the A19 and A26 SSK types, the RSwN hopes to begin building its submarine force levels to help offset threats in the Baltic region.
by Dr. Lee Willett
