HSwMS Sjöormen (Sor), Sw. meaning sea serpent, was the lead ship of the Swedish submarine class Sjöormen, project name A11.[1]

HSwMS Sjöormen in August 1967
History
Sweden
NameSjöormen
BuilderKockums
Laid down1966
Launched25 January 1967
Commissioned31 July 1968
Decommissioned1997
Motto
  • Esse non videre
  • (To be without being seen)
Nickname(s)Sor
FateSold to Singapore in 1997
Singapore
NameCenturion
NamesakeCenturion
Acquired28 May 1999
Commissioned26 June 2004
Decommissioned11 March 2015
HomeportChangi
FateScrapped
General characteristics
Class and type
Displacement
  • 1,130 t (1,112 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,210 t (1,191 long tons) submerged
Length50.5 m (165 ft 8 in)
Beam6.1 m (20 ft 0 in)
Draught5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 × Hedemora diesel generators
  • 1 × electric motor
  • 1 shaft
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement25 officers and enlisted
Armament
  • 4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
  • 2 × 400 mm (16 in) torpedo tubes

Development

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The planning of the class included a number of different AIP solutions including nuclear propulsion. However, the ships where finally completed with for the time extremely large batteries. The ship was a single-hulled submarine, with hull shape influenced by the American experimental submarine USS Albacore. The hull was covered with rubber tiles to reduce the acoustic signature (anechoic tiles), at this time a pioneering technology. The Sjöormen class also pioneered the use of an x-shaped (as opposed to cross-shaped) rudder as a standard (as opposed to experimental) feature.

Service in Sweden

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The submarine served in the Swedish Navy for almost 30 years and was then sold to Singapore in 1997 together with its four sister ships.

Service in Singapore

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HSwMS Sjöormen was renamed RSS Centurion and Singapore reacquired the boat on 28 May 1999. She was commissioned on 26 June 2004 after a major refit. After 11 years in the Republic of Singapore Navy, she was decommissioned on 11 March 2015 and scrapped. Her fin and sail were preserved as a memorial at the Republic of Singapore Navy Museum.

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References

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  1. ^ "Sjoormen Class Patrol Submarine | Military-Today.com". www.military-today.com. Retrieved 2020-07-29.