Saab to extend Södermanland lifespan to mid-2030s
Saab is extending the operational life of HSwMS Södermanland and providing new batteries for Swedish Navy submarines. (Photo: Saab)
Saab has received new orders from FMV for submarine upgrades.
Swedish defence procurement agency FMV has ordered Saab to conduct life-extension work on the submarine HSwMS Södermanland as part of a SEK470 million ($43.93 million) upgrade package.
Saab will also swap in new batteries for the Swedish Navy submarine fleet, and the company will begin an R&D project for new battery technology.
Södermanland will receive around 50 modifications, Saab announced on 14 September, adding that the work will extend the boat’s operational lifespan by six years.
Shephard Defence Insight previously gave 2030 as the date when the two Södermanland-class submarines will retire.
The Södermanland class will be replaced by a pair of Blekinge-class (A26) submarines that are under construction.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Critical infrastructure protection fuels growth in maritime counter-drone market]()
Critical infrastructure protection fuels growth in maritime counter-drone market
Operational lessons are pushing navies towards counter-uncrewed aerial systems at sea, creating a fast-emerging industrial opportunity for radar and effector makers.
-
![US Navy’s MUSV programme could lay the USV procurement blueprint for NATO allies]()
US Navy’s MUSV programme could lay the USV procurement blueprint for NATO allies
The programme’s structure as a marketplace will allow multiple companies to compete for ongoing procurements; an approach which could be replicated across the Atlantic.
-
![UK Royal Navy shifts focus from warships to system-led warfare]()
UK Royal Navy shifts focus from warships to system-led warfare
With a revised Defence Investment Plan on the way ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit on 7-8 July, the UK government has begun to reveal more details of how its future naval fleet could look.
