Gotland class
 The Gotland
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Gotland- class submarines are among the most modern submarines with conventional non- nuclear propulsion. As a largely computer-controlled weapon system, they set global standards for the development of future armaments . They are developed and built on behalf of the Swedish Navy at Kockums in Malmö / Sweden and replace the older Västergötland class .
Equipment and duties
The Gotland- class submarines are the first submarines in the world to be equipped with an air-independent Stirling engine that extends the duration of their underwater journey from a few days to a few weeks. In the past, only nuclear submarines had this capability . In addition, the system is considered vibration-free, quiet and practically impossible to locate . The manufacturer of the Stirling engines is the Swedish company Kockums Submarine Systems, the type is Kockums V4-275R. Diesel fuel, which is burned with pure oxygen, serves as the heat source.
The aft rudder and depth rudders are arranged in an X-shape in front of the slowly rotating propeller, which together with the depth rudders on the tower guarantee excellent maneuverability. The Gotland- class submarines are divided into two levels: On the lower deck, from front to aft, there is the torpedo room with weapon maintenance and ammunition load, battery A, the auxiliary machinery, diesel generators and battery B. On the upper deck are the headquarters, the radio room, the electronics room, the accommodations, the mess, the galley, toilets and washrooms. The electronics room contains the drive control consoles, inverters , converters and alternators , the electrical control consoles and the battery monitor. Aft is the Stirling AIP system, main engine and support systems. The tower houses a combined search and attack periscope, masts for communication and reconnaissance, a radar antenna and a snorkel .
The Gotland- class is designed for most of the tasks a submarine can perform: anti-ship and anti- submarine missions, long-range reconnaissance , covert operations, and mine-laying . The Gotland- class submarines carry an arsenal of state-of-the-art wire-guided and homing weapons, including the newly developed torpedoes with homing heads, missiles and sea mines. A single weapon system coordinates the location, identification and destruction of targets even far beyond the visual limit: the newly developed sonar and fire control system CSU 90 analyzes the movement of the target, calculates its course, speed and position from it and coordinates the triggering and course of your own weapons accordingly. The pipes are reloaded automatically. All sensors of the boat, the navigation and weapon control as well as the computer consoles and tactical programs are integrated in the system. This weapon system, together with the low contours of the boat, the enormous endurance and extreme shock resistance, make up the high fighting power of the boat. Due to its shape and various coatings on the outer shell, the Gotland class can hardly be located with sonar. The extensive automation of the systems also makes it possible to do without a large crew. For example, only one man is responsible for the course and depth control of the boat, and these functions can also be taken over by the on-board system.
Boats
Three Gotland- class submarines are currently in service with the Swedish Navy :
- Gotland (from 2005 to 2007 in joint training with the United States Navy )
- Uppland
- Halland
Web links
Footnotes
- ↑ Matthias Brendel: Technology: Fire from the outside . In: Spiegel Special from 1997-09-01 . No. 9 , 1997.
- ↑ a b Kockum's submarine engines. In: stirlingengines.org.uk. Retrieved April 18, 2020 .
- ↑ Jürg Kürsener: U-Boats - Relics of the Cold War? In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung , January 25, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2020.