Poland chose Sweden to supply three A-26 or Blekinge-class submarines from Saab, specially made for the Baltic Sea. The A-26 is Sweden’s largest conventional submarine, as it is not nuclear-powered. It can stay underwater for weeks using three quiet Stirling engines that don’t need air. At 66 meters (217 feet), it is smaller than larger nuclear submarines from Russia or the U. S., which are around 170 meters long, making it well-suited for the shallow Baltic Sea, averaging 60 meters deep.
A key feature of the A-26 is a 1.5-meter diameter dive-lock called a multi-mission portal, located at the bow. This allows for easy access for remotely operated vehicles, autonomous vehicles, or divers. The submarine can handle seabed warfare, protecting or targeting underwater infrastructure, and is equipped with torpedoes, mines, and capacity for naval special forces, but lacks missile-launch capabilities like larger submarines.
Sweden planned to deliver two A-26 submarines by 2023 at an initial cost of 8.6 billion Swedish crowns. However, the project has faced significant delays, and the first delivery is now pushed to 2031, with total costs projected to rise to 25 billion crowns.
With information from Reuters