Näcken-class submarine

HMS Neptun
Class overview
Name:	Näcken class
Builders:	Kockums
Operators:	Swedish Navy  Royal Danish Navy
Preceded by:	Sjöormen class
Succeeded by:	Västergötland class
Planned:	3
Completed:	3
Laid up:	2
Retired:	3
Preserved:	1
General characteristics
Type:	Submarine
Displacement:	980 tonnes (960 long tons) surfaced 1,150 tonnes (1,130 long tons) submerged
Length:	44 m (144 ft 4 in)
Beam:	5.7 m (18 ft 8 in)
Draught:	5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
Propulsion:	2 × MTU diesel engines 1 × Jeumont-Schneider electric motor 1 shaft
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) surfaced 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) submerged
Test depth:	150 m (490 ft)
Complement:	19 (5 officers)
Sensors and processing systems:	FAS
Armament:	• 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes • 2 × 400 mm (16 in) torpedo tubes • Mines

The Näcken-class submarines, also known as the A14 type, were built for the Swedish Navy in the late 1970s. The boats were authorised in 1972 and the programme was completed in 1981. All boats were built by Kockums in Karlskrona. The boats had a teardrop hull and diving depth was 150 metres (490 ft). Between 1987 and 1988 Näcken was converted to Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) using a closed cycle Stirling engine. This technology increased underwater endurance to 14 days and has been adopted in subsequent Swedish submarines.

By the early 2000s the class was decommissioned from the Swedish navy. HSwMS Näcken was temporary leased to the Danish navy but was returned in 2005. As of 2011 the three submarines are laid up at the Karlskrona naval base.

Ships

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