HSwMS Sjöhästen underway date unknown.
History
Sweden
Name	Sjöbjörnen
Namesake	Sjöhästen
Ordered	1966
Builder	Karlskrona naval base
Launched	6 August 1968
Commissioned	19 May 1969
Decommissioned	1997
Motto	Mares pegasus
Nickname(s)	Shä
Fate	Sold to Singapore in 1997
Singapore
Acquired	28 May 1999
Homeport	Changi Naval Base, Singapore
Fate	Scrapped, used for spare parts
General characteristics
Class and type	Sjöormen-class submarine
Displacement	1,130 t (1,112 long tons) surfaced 1,210 t (1,191 long tons) submerged
Length	50.5 m (165 ft 8 in)
Beam	6.1 m (20 ft 0 in)
Draught	5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
Propulsion	2 × Hedemora Diesel generators 1 × electric motor 1 shaft
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	25 officers and enlisted
Armament	4 × (533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes) 2 × (400 mm (16 in) torpedo tubes)

HSwMS Sjöhästen (Shä), Sw. meaning sea horse, was the fifth and last ship of the Swedish submarine class Sjöormen, project name A11.^[1]

Development

The planning of the class included a number of different AIP-solutions including nuclear propulsion, however the ships where finally completed with for the time extremely large batteries. The ship was a single-hulled submarine, with hull shape influenced by the American experimental submarine USS Albacore. The hull was covered with rubber tiles to reduce the acoustic signature (anechoic tiles), at this time a pioneer technology. The Sjöormen class also pioneered the use of an x-shaped (as opposed to cross-shaped) rudder as a standard (as opposed to experimental) feature.^[2]

Service in Sweden

Sjöhästen was launched on 6 August 1968 at Karlskronavarvet in Karlskrona, Sweden. County Governor Thure Andersson performed the christening, but numerous military and civilian honoratiores did not get to see any submarine leave the slipway. The water level was 30 cm below the average surface. In addition to County Governor Thure Andersson and his wife, among those present was the "Swedish-American of the Year" Admiral Arleigh Burke and his wife who made a detour to Karlskrona before continuing to Sofiero Palace to be received by King Gustaf VI Adolf. Among the guests were First Marshal of the Court Admiral Stig H:son Ericson, director (departementsråd) Benkt Dahlberg of the Ministry of Defence, the Chief of the Defence Staff Lieutenant General Stig Synnergren, and Sten Wåhlin, the director general of the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration. Kockums was represented by directors Nils Haldenborg, director Per Stenberg and director Karl-Gustaf Råwall.^[3]

The submarine served in the Swedish Navy for almost 30 years and was then sold to Singapore in 1997 together with its four sister ships.

Service in Singapore

HSwMS Sjöhästen was sold to Singapore on 28 May 1999. She was never commissioned instead used as for spare parts.

Gallery

• HSwMS Sjöhästen Gallery
• 
  HSwMS Sjöhästen being launched on 6 August 1968.
• 
  HSwMS Sjöhästen underway between 1967–1968.
• 
  HSwMS Sjöhästen underway in 1968.
• 
  HSwMS Sjöhästen underway in 1968.
• 
  HSwMS Sjöhästen underway in 1968.
• 
  HSwMS Sjöhästen underway in 1968.

References