The keel laying was an important milestone in Kockums’ development of the A26 programme. It followed the announcement in August 2021 that delivery of the planned two Blekinge boats would be delayed from 2024 and 2025 to 2027 and 2028, respectively. The opportunity presented by the build schedule delay also enabled Kockums and FMV – Sweden’s defence materiel administration – to introduce new capability onboard the boats.
In between these two markers, deteriorating Euro-Atlantic security heightened debate in Sweden over whether two new boats would be sufficient to meet RSwN needs. While the navy’s three in-service Gotland-class SSKs will also need replacing by the end of the 2030s, the RSwN’s Chief of Navy had questioned whether a force level numbering five new boats would be enough.
Speaking to media in Stockholm during a press tour in June 2022, navy chief Rear Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum said the RSwN would be seeking to add one more boat to its SSK flotilla, within requirements requests to be submitted later in 2022 for Sweden’s next defence bill planning process.
Sweden’s journey towards delivering A26 dates back to 2014, when Saab acquired shipbuilder Kockums from Germany’s tkMS. Since then, “continuous investments have been made in facilities as well as people,” Lars Tossman, President and Head of Business Area for Saab Kockums, told Naval News in October 2022.
Speaking previously to a media briefing at Karlskrona in June 2022, Tossman said “[The programme] has been intense with the development, the engineering phase of it: we have peaked that. Now, it’s more about ramping up production here at the shipyard.”
Since the Kockums’ acquisition, Sweden has been moving to develop a national submarine-building capability, particularly capacity for design and build of new submarines.
“Investing in the shipyard so we have a modern yard that could produce ships, submarines, etc …. Investing in machines, infrastructure, buildings, and things like that. The other one is rebuilding the competence. It’s not just about hiring good engineers, good shipyard workers. It’s about redoing all the processes, the tools, and everything.”
Lars Tossman, President and Head of Business Area for Saab Kockums
“That takes some time, and it has been a journey since 2014 to recreate what we once had,” Tossman said, “but we have recreated the capability, we have the processes, we have the skilled people in place, so I would say we are there.”
“Now we are working according to the updated contract,” Tossman added.
Since the signing of the re-baselined contract, Kockums and FMV have taken the opportunity to introduce new capability into the A26 design. Here, Tossman explained, set against the context of developments in digitisation and other technologies, there has been particular focus on the submarine’s signature and weapons fit. “We have tried to use all modern technologies, modern tools [available] to be in all perspectives a modern shipyard from designing to manufacturing,” said Tossman.
FMV told Naval News in October 2022 that the August 2021 order will give A26 additional operational capabilities including the integration of the Tp 47 lightweight torpedo (alongside the boat’s main armament, the Tp 62 heavyweight torpedo), and additional spare parts.
A26 Torpedo room and CIC
By Xavier Vavasseur
The torpedo room of the A26 submarine is quite unique. Images shared by FMV and the Swedish Navy shows that it is designed around the now “iconic” Multi Mission Portal, that oversized torpedo tube fitted in the middle of the submarine. The Multi Mission Portal is wide enough to accommodate swimmers, diving equipment alongside manned and unmanned vehicles for different kind of special missions. There are two smaller tubes for torpedoes on each side of the Multi Mission Portal.
Based on the images, the torpedo room seems to features seven weapons racks. Submarine expert and Naval News regular contributor H I Sutton comments:
“With the recent events involving the Nord Stream pipelines, the multi-mission portal appears particularly forward thinking. As well as traditional special forces and intelligence missions, it can potentially also support seabed warfare. These might involve Saab’s Sabertooth. The hybrid ROV/AUV (remote operated vehicle/autonomous underwater vehicle) can be launched and recovered from the hangar. This could be used in either defensive or offensive missions”.
The Combat Information Center (CIC) appears to be modern with large, dual screen set up for each consoles. We counted 12 workstations on the images shared with us. The Commanding Officer sits right in the middle of the room. Naval News learned that a full scale ground-based demonstrator of the CIC is being built.
“The A-26 takes advantage of not having a traditional periscope to relocate the control room forward. This means that there is no need for the crew to pass through it, a disturbance in older boats”.
H I Sutton
