HSwMS Västergötland (Vgd)

HSwMS Västergötland (Vgd), is named after Västergötland, Sweden. She is the lead ship of the Västergötland-class submarine.

HSwMS Västergötland on 7 February 2005.
History
Sweden
Name: HSwMS Västergötland
Namesake: Västergötland, Sweden
Ordered: 10 January 1983
Builder: Kockums
Launched: 19 July 1986
Commissioned: 27 November 1987
Decommissioned: 1997
Motto: Unum, sed leonem ("One, but one lion")
Nickname(s): Vgd
Fate: Sold to Singapore in 2005
Singapore
Name: RSS Swordsman
Namesake: Swordsman
Acquired: 4 November 2005
Commissioned: 30 April 2013
Homeport: Changi Naval Base, Singapore
Status: Active
General characteristics
Class and type:

Västergötland-class submarine

Archer-class submarine
Displacement:
  • 1,400 t (1,378 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,500 t (1,476 long tons) submerged
Length: 60.5 m (198 ft 6 in)
Beam: 6.1 m (20 ft 0 in)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × Hedemora Diesel generators
  • 2 × Kockums v4-275R Sterling AIP units
Speed:

8 knots (9.2 mph; 15 km/h) (Surfaced)

15 knots (17 mph; 28 km/h) (Submerged)
Complement: 28 officers and enlisted
Armament:

Development

The submarine design combined the best properties from the Sjöormen-class and the Näcken-class. 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 submarines in 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 of perhaps dubious benefit that probably still stands today.[1]

The Västergötland-class included the submarines HSwMS Södermanland and HSwMS Östergötland. After significant upgrades, these two submarines were reclassified to a new Södermanland-class.

Service in Sweden

The submarine served in the Swedish Navy for almost 25 years and was then sold to Singapore in 2005 together with HSwMS Hälsingland.

Service in Singapore

HSwMS Västergötland was renamed RSS Swordsman. Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) signed an agreement with Kockums for the supply of two Archer-class submarines (formerly Västergötland class) submarines to the RSN on 4 November 2005. More than 20 years old and previously in reserve with the Swedish Navy, the submarines will be transferred to the RSN on completion of the modernisation and conversion for operation in tropical waters. RSS Archer was launched on 16 June 2009. RSS Archer has undergone sea trials following its launch and is now operational. The second submarine, RSS Swordsman, was launched on 20 October 2010. The Archer-class submarines entered service in 2013 and replaced RSS Challenger and RSS Centurion of the Challenger-class submarines that were retired in 2015.[2]

  • HSwMS Västergötland & RSS Swordsman Gallery
  • HSwMS Västergötland’s badge.

References
  1. "Baltic Sea". Corporal Frisk. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  2. Ahlquist, Erik. "HMS Östergötland på slutövning". Försvarsmakten (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-07-30.


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