The Swedish Navy’s submarine arm consists of the 1st Submarine Flotilla based in Karlskrona.
The submarine is a uniquely versatile platform capable of operating covertly, hidden in the surrounding water. With their wide range of sensors, submarines can maintain surveillance of large sea areas both on the surface and underwater. Maritime surveillance, intelligence gathering, the landing of special units and carrying out attacks on surface ships or other submarines are just some of the capabilities that the Swedish Navy’s submarines possess. In the event of war the submarines can lay mines.
With propulsion machinery that does not require an external air supply (Stirling engines), the Swedish submarines are capable of operating submerged for long periods, while at the same time being very difficult to detect.
The Flotilla includes the following:
- Gotland Class submarines,
- Södermanland Class submarines,
- Mini-submarine HMS Spiggen,
- Submarine rescue vessel HMS Belos with the submarine rescue vehicle URF,
- Torpedo recovery vessel HMS Pelikanen,
- and Signals intelligence vessel HMS Orion.