Saab’s C718 expeditionary submarine offered for Dutch Navy’s sea denial capability
The A26 Blekinge-class SSK that the C718 design is based on is 63m-long and displace 2,400t offering a range of 6,500 miles and operated by a crew of just 27 sailors. (Photo: Saab)
Swedish shipbuilder Saab Kockums is offering a new expeditionary submarine design as a contender for the Dutch MoD’s Walrus Submarine Replacement Programme.
As the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) looks to retire its four Walrus-class diesel-electric attack submarines (SSKs) there is an urgent need to introduce new platforms to sustain an underwater sea denial capability.
Fredrik Gustafsson, head of marketing and sales at Saab Kockums, told Shephard that the C71 is the name of its expeditionary submarine family built to enable long-distance operations.
‘The C718 offered to the Netherlands is a version of the Expeditionary-family submarine, adapted to meet and even exceed the Dutch requirements long-term,’ he said. ‘The A26 [Blekinge-class] is the most modern conventional submarine presently built. Much of the
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