HSwMS Sjöormen (Sor)

For other ships with the same name, see HSwMS Sjöormen.
HSwMS Sjöormen in August 1967
History
Sweden
Name Sjöormen
Builder Kockums
Laid down 1966
Launched 25 January 1967
Commissioned 31 July 1968
Decommissioned 1997
Motto
  • Esse non videre
  • (To be without being seen)
Nickname(s) Sor
Fate Sold to Singapore in 1997
Singapore
Name Centurion
Namesake Centurion
Acquired 28 May 1999
Commissioned 26 June 2004
Decommissioned 11 March 2015
Homeport Changi
Fate Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type
Displacement
  • 1,130 t (1,112 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,210 t (1,191 long tons) submerged
Length 50.5 m (165 ft 8 in)
Beam 6.1 m (20 ft 0 in)
Draught 5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 × Hedemora diesel generators
  • 1 × electric motor
  • 1 shaft
Speed 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement 25 officers and enlisted
Armament
  • 4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
  • 2 × 400 mm (16 in) torpedo tubes

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

Development

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

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

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.

Gallery

  • HSwMS Sjöormen & RSS Centurion gallery
  • HSwMS Sjöormen underway in 1968.
    HSwMS Sjöormen underway in 1968.
  • HSwMS Sjöormen underway in 1968.
    HSwMS Sjöormen underway in 1968.
  • HSwMS Sjöormen underway in 1968.
    HSwMS Sjöormen underway in 1968.
  • HSwMS Sjöormen underway in 1968.
    HSwMS Sjöormen underway in 1968.
  • HSwMS Sjöormen underway in 1968.
    HSwMS Sjöormen underway in 1968.
  • RSS Centurion leading a combined US and RSN task group during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2004.
    RSS Centurion leading a combined US and RSN task group during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2004.