Västergötland-class submarine

Following award of the design contract on 17 April 1978 and the construction contract on 8 December 1981 to Kockums AB, building commenced for four boats of the class (Västergötland, Hälsingland, Södermanland, and Östergötland) which were built between 1983 and 1988. The latter two have undergone comprehensive refits, including the insertion of a new hull section with an air-independent propulsion system equipped with Stirling engines. They have been recommissioned in 2003–2004 as the new Södermanland class.

Västergötland and Hälsingland were put in reserve until November 2005, when they were sold to the Republic of Singapore Navy as the Archer class. They were refitted to Södermanland class standards and received additional climatisation for use in tropical waters, and relaunched in 2009–2010.^{[citation needed]}

Östergötland was decommissioned in 2021, leaving Södermanland as the last remaining ship of the class in Swedish service.^[1]

The Type A17 attack submarines were designed for the Swedish Navy as replacements for the Draken II-class submarines and incorporates the best properties from the preceding Sjöormen and Näcken classes. Requirements called for a multi-role submarine to carry out a variety of missions involving attack, mining, surveillance, anti-submarine, and interjection of Special Forces. It features a two-deck single-hull design with two watertight compartments divided by a centre watertight bulkhead controlled using an X-configuration rudder/after hydroplane design.^{[citation needed]}

Submarines of the Västergötland class had greater submarine hunting capacity than previous classes, partly due to the fact that they were equipped with a new modern submarine torpedo. The Västergötland class were able to fire up to six heavy and six light wire-guided torpedoes at the same time against different targets, a world record that still stands today.^[2]

• List of submarine classes in service

Equivalent submarines of the same era

• Shishumar class
• Ula class
• Jang Bogo class