U.S. Wants to Lease Swedish Submarine

[Rose Siding]

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- The United States wants to lease a Swedish attack submarine for naval exercises in the Baltic Sea in a deal possibly worth tens of millions of dollars, defense officials said Sunday.
........
The Green Party, which supports the government in parliament, criticized the proposed deal.

"Sweden has accused the United States for being involved in a war violating international law in Iraq. This deal feels ill-timed under the circumstances," Green Party spokesman Lars Aangstroem said.
........
Sweden has amended its staunch neutrality policy in recent years, leaving more room for increased military cooperation with other countries. It is a keen contributor to U.N. peacekeeping operations but has not fought a war since invading neighboring Norway in 1814.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-sweden-us-naval-exercise,0,2418471.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[SoCalDem]

1. ..."Weeee all live in a Sweeeedish submarine"

Ja :)

[DBoon]

2. Sweden should not provide arms to rogue nations

eom

[carpetbagger]

3. The Swedish submarine would play an "enemy" ...

If there's such a thing as Swedish late-night talk shows, the hosts are probably having a field day with this one.

[shraby]

4. Don't we have plenty of submarines

of our own???????

[happyslug]

6. None are NON-NUCLEAR.

One of the advantages of conventional Diesel-electric Submarines is their are QUIETER than Nuclear subs (Nukes can NOT turn off their Reactor thus always producing noise unlike the electric engine of a sub switch is not only quieter than a nuke, can be such down in a second to make a Sub even more quiet.

The US has very few Conventional subs left, we like the fact in the deep ocean a nuke can stay submerged for weeks at a time unlike a Conventional Sub which must raise to sun up a snorkel every so often. During WWII this was every day but on reading about the Gotland it can be two weeks. Vast improvements in batteries (or maybe just the result of more efficient electric usage).

The problem is after the fall of the Soviet Union fighting on the high seas became more and more unlikely, where the US Navy may have to fight in in coastal areas where the advantages of the Nuclear Sub is less important than the absolute quiet of a electric engine. There have been an opinion in the US Navy to have some Conventional Subs since the 1950 but Admiral Rickover opposed it and that opposition has survived his death.

[Stockholm]

7. They are.... n/t

This is not really doable politically at the moment. The Iraq affair has taken its toll.

My guess of a formal Swedish reply: Why don´t you come back to us after 2nd of November.

[happyslug]

5. Must be a "Gotland" Class Sub:

Gotland class (Type A-19) submarines

Displacement: 1,490 tons full load
Dimensions: 60.6 x 6.06 x 5.6 meters/198.8 x 19.8 x 18.4 feet
Propulsion: Diesel electric with AIP, 2 diesels, 1 shaft, 20 knots
Crew: 23
Sonar: Atlas CSU-90-2 suite
Armament: 4 21 inch torpedo tubes (12 torpedoes), 2 15.7 inch torpedo tubes (4 torpedoes), 48 external mines

Concept/Program: An updated Type A-17 design fitted with AIP; one of the world's finest non-nuclear submarines.

Builders: Kockums, Malmo.

See for more details:
http://www.diodon349.com/gotland/ssk_gotland_class_type_a19_subma.htm
http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/gotland/
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/gotland/gotland5.html
http://www.karlskronavarvet.se/pdf/submarine.pdf
http://www.karlskronavarvet.se/Submarines/gotland.html