Navy

Sweden’s Famously Stealthy Submarine Is Now Even Quieter

When Sweden loaned one of its AIP (Air Independent Power) submarines to the U.S. Navy, it made waves. HMS Gotland operated out of San Diego for over 2 years in the late 2000s, reputably ‘sinking’ the carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) in an exercise. It wasn’t fast, but it was quiet, which is a valuable quality in underwater warfare. Now that submarine has been upgraded with an even stealthier propulsion system.

A cornerstone of Gotland's effectiveness in exercises with the U.S. Navy was its AIP propulsion. Indeed it was a major factor in why the Navy wanted to exercise against this specific boat. AIP meant that it could stay submerged for much longer than other non-nuclear boats.

Today the AIP is a generation newer than when the U.S. Navy faced her. Gotland was upgraded by Saab in 2018 and a second of the class, HMS Uppland, is nearly ready for delivery.