Saab awarded further A26 submarine order
Rendering of the A26 Blekinge-class submarine. (Photo: Saab.)
Sweden’s Defence Material Administration has awarded Saab a further order worth $600m (SEK 5.2 billion) to continue development, production and expand the capabilities of the two A26 Blekinge-class submarines.
Saab president and CEO Micael Johansson said ‘Saab is currently constructing the world’s most advanced conventional submarine.
‘The new capabilities that are to be added to the A26 will give an additional edge within the weapon system and stealth technology among other things.’
Sweden ordered the two new Blekinge-class submarines in June 2015. Delivery of the submarines is scheduled to take place in 2027 and 2028.
The new submarines will displace 2,400t with a length of 63m. A diesel-electric engine will offer a top speed of around 20kt and a range of 6,500 miles.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
-
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
Sealift shortfalls set to drive opportunities across NATO navies
A new Council on Geostrategy primer warns that NATO cannot defend its own supply lines. As the alliance faces a sealift and logistics escort deficit, a wave of unawarded procurement is beginning to take shape.
-
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.