Zwaardvis class
 Zwaardvis class submarine |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Type | Hunting submarine |
| units | 2 built, 0 active |
| Namesake | Swordfish |
| period of service |
1972-1995 |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
2645 tons submerged |
| length |
66.9 m |
| width |
8.4 m |
| Draft |
7.1 m |
| crew |
approx. 65 |
| drive |
Diesel-electric, 1 wave |
| speed |
about 20 knots |
| Armament |
6 × 533 mm torpedo tubes |
The Zwaardvis class was a submarine class of the Royal Navy of the Netherlands.
history
The two Zwaardvis class boats were commissioned in 1965; they were the first boats in the Dutch Navy to receive a teardrop-shaped hull, as tested by the United States Navy in the USS Albacore (AGSS-569) . In fact, the Zwaardvis boats were direct descendants of the American Barbel class . Both boats were laid down at Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij in Rotterdam in 1966 and were launched in 1970 ( Zwaardvis and 1971 Tijgerhaai ). They officially entered service in 1972. From 1982, Dutch shipyards also built two modified boats of the class for Taiwan, these are still in operation there as the Hai Lung class .
In 1987/1988 ( Tijgerhaai ) and 1989/1990 ( Zwaardvis ) both boats underwent a complete overhaul and remained in service until 1994 ( Zwaardvis ) and 1995 ( Tijgerhaai ). Together with their predecessors in the Dolfijn class , they were replaced by the four boats of the new Walrus class .
The boats were sold back to RDM in 1996 after the Dutch state they previously unsuccessfully for 55 million US dollars had been offered. As a result, the planned sale failed first to Indonesia, then to Egypt. In 2000 Malaysia wanted to lease the boats for five years, and RDM actually had them transported to Lumut on the Smit Explorer . Ultimately, Malaysia decided to buy two new Scorpène-class boats and from then on was no longer interested in the Zwaardvis boats.
Web links
- Overview on dutchsubmarines.com (engl.)