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Artist impression of a new corvette next to a Visby class one, may differ considerably when we see the real thing.That will be the name of the navy's new ship
By: Melina Westberg | Navy – 21 June 2023 at: 10.02
Work on the navy's new ships is in full swing and during the spring the names of the ships have been determined after HM the King's approval. The surface combat ships will be named after Swedish ports.
A sketch of the navy's new surface combat ship on the left, to be compared with the smaller already existing Visby corvette.
MAGNIFY
A sketch of the navy's new surface combat ship on the left, to be compared with the smaller already existing Visby corvette.Photo: Artist impression by Saab.
In the defense decision from 2020, it appears that four new surface combat ships and new harbor tugs are to be added to the navy. Although the construction of the ships is still on the drawing board, the head of the navy has made a decision in the spring about what the eight new ships will be called.
‒ The surface combat ships will be named after Swedish coastal cities that have or have had great importance for the navy. According to tradition, the harbor tugboats are named after Greek mythological names, says navy manager Ewa Skoog Haslum.
It is the head of the navy, in his capacity as the shipowner of the Armed Forces, who chooses which names the navy's ships will bear. For the name to apply, HM the King's approval is required, which all ships have received.
LULEÅ-CLASS SURFACE COMBATANT
The new surface combat ships have been named after coastal cities along Sweden's long coast, from north to west. The first finished ship bears the name of the class, which in this case will be HMS Luleå. Other ships are HMS Norrköping, HMS Trelleborg and HMS Halmstad.
‒ The Luleå class will be larger than our existing Visby- and Gävle-class corvettes and be equipped to operate in all levels of conflict against targets on, above and below the surface. The ships will be important additions to an active defense and they will also be adapted to international contexts with our partner countries, says Skoog Haslum.
Exact details of the ships are not finalized yet. Estimated delivery of the ships is around 2030.
HARBOR TUGS FOR ADVANCED LOGISTICS
The harbor tugs are smaller tugs that complement the navy's larger tugs for work in naval ports and base areas. The ships are part of the development of the navy's logistics and base function. The tugboats will be delivered in 2023 and 2024.
‒ The harbor tugs will be part of the new naval base battalions set up in 2023. The battalions will become part of the Navy's regular logistics function in the fall and our new harbor tugs are a much-needed addition, says Skoog Haslum.
The ships have been named as below. All ship names have traditionally received HM the King's approval.
LULEÅ-CLASS SURFACE COMBATANT:
HMS LULEÅ:
Luleå is an important port in Norrbotten. The city is of particular importance to the kingdom's livelihood by being an important shipping port for the Lapland iron ore and steel industry. The choice of Luleå also addresses the Northern Cape as an important Swedish security policy area of interest.
Previous naval ships with the city's name include the torpedo boat HMS Luleå, which belonged to the successful Norrköping class and was launched in 1975 and modified into a robot boat in 1984. The ship was taken out of service in 2002.
HMS NORRKÖPING:
HMS Norrköping will be the sixth ship named after the strategically important port city inside Bråviken. The first "HMS Norrköping" in the Swedish navy was a ship with 52 guns launched in Karlskrona in 1698.
The last two ships to bear the name HMS Norrköping were the city destroyer from 1940 and the first ship in the 12-ship series of torpedo/robot boats in the 1970s and decommissioned in 2005.
HMS TRELLEBORG:
HMS Trelleborg will be the first ship to bear that name in the Swedish Navy. Trelleborg's strategic importance was already seen during the Viking Age when a fortress was built on the site "Trelleborgen". The earliest known record of the place is from 1257 when it was given as a wedding gift to Swedish Prince Valdemar (Birgersson) when he married the Danish Princess Sofia Eriksdotter.
Trelleborg has always been an important place for shipping, from the stream fishing and commercial forests of ancient times to today's large ferries and container ships. From Trelleborg's strategic location on the absolute southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, an extensive ship traffic to surrounding countries and cities on the Baltic Sea and the rest of Europe originates today.
HMS HALMSTAD:
Halmstad's location and important port are a vital part of the navy's eventual build-up on the west coast and in the North Sea. As early as 1676, the city played an important role when a Danish army was defeated by the Swedish. Thus, the threat to Gothenburg was averted and a gathering of forces in Skåne was made possible before the great battle at Lund on the fourth of December of the same year. The victory name is today carried on the field insignia of the Life Guard and the Life Regiment's hussars (K3).
The first ship with the name HMS Halmstad was a 48-gun frigate launched in Karlskrona in 1699. The ship took an active part during the war against Denmark in the 1710s. She also participated in the defense of Älvsborg fortress during the Norwegian-Danish commander Peter Tordenskiöld's attack on Gothenburg in 1717.
The torpedo boat HMS Halmstad was part of the long Norrköping class, the ship came to be, after modification to a robot boat, one of the longest-serving robot boats before she was retired in 2002. The armed forces have for a long time had broad connections to Halmstad with, among others, the Halmstad Military Academy, 14. Flygflottiljen (F14) and Air Defense Regiment Lv6.
HERMES-CLASS HARBOR TUGS:
HERMES:
Hermes was in Greek mythology the messenger of the gods and the son of Zeus. Hermes is the second ship in the navy to bear the name Hermes. The first HMS Hermes (A253) was also a tugboat built in 1956 at the Karlskrona shipyard. The older HMS Hermes was involved in the incident with U.137 at Gåsefjärden in 1981. The ship was sold to civilian buyers in 2007.
HERA:
Hera was the goddess of marriage and fertility in ancient Greece and the wife of Zeus. Between 1971 and 2016, the navy had a tug named Hera (A324). The ship was built at Åsiverken in Åmål in 1971 and sold to a civilian buyer in 2016.
HEBE:
Hebe is also a goddess in ancient Greek mythology. She was the daughter of Zeus and Hera. In Olympus she helped with household chores and was the goddess of water and youth. The navy's first tug, HMS Hebe, was built for the fleet at Mohög's Mechanical Workshop in 1969.
HEROS:
Heros is the second ship in the Navy named Heros. The first tug named HMS Heros (A323) was built at Karlskrona Orlogsvarv in 1955. The ship served for 61 years before being sold to civilian buyers in 2016. The ship participated in the incident with U-137 in 1981.
