Subhydration time

“We have 1 of the longest coastlines in Europe. It is 2,7,000 kilometers, and it has over 200,000 islands. As a country, we are besides heavy dependent on maritime transport routes. 86 percent of all goods scope us through the Baltic – she calculated cadmium. Eva Skoog Haslum in a commemorative speech on the 500th anniversary of the Swedish Navy. The minute was special. A fewer months earlier, Russia invaded Ukraine and drastically tightened the anti-Western course. In response, the Swedes applied to join the North Atlantic Alliance and besides accelerated the pace of expansion and modernisation of the armed forces. Modern submarines became an crucial part of this puzzle. According to the national defence strategy, the Swedish Navy should have 5 units of this class. However, there were only 3 ships of kind A19 Gotland from the late 1990s and 1 older A17 Södermanland, who inactive remembered the 1980s. The Swedes looked forward to their successors.

The fresh quality in the submarine was to introduce 2 A26 Blekinge – units designed specifically for shallow Baltic waters, equipped with an air-independent AIP drive, 4 torpedo launchers or a peculiar portal for cooperation with peculiar troops divers and unmanned submarines. Unfortunately, due to various types of turbulence, the task was seriously delayed. Ships that were initially expected to enter service at the beginning of this decade are not ready until today. According to fresh announcements, the Swedish Navy first can receive at the beginning of the next decade. Many indicate that precedence in acquiring A26 will be given to Poles.

Construction of submarine A26 Blekinge

However, the Swedes do not intend to wait for fresh ships with their hands on. They founded a solid modernization of both the aged A17 and the 3 Gotlands. The last 1 returned to service last December. All this makes the Swedish submarine fleet inactive a crucial force in the Baltic. And shortly it will become even stronger.

The Germans, who invited the Norwegians to cooperate, besides put the chance to strengthen the submarine fleet. In 2021, governments of both countries signed a contract with ThyssenKrupp Marine strategy to build six units of kind 212CD. 2 of them are to strengthen German, while the another 4 are to strengthen Norwegian navy. However, the defence departments there rapidly concluded that... they needed more. By the end of 2024, the Germans had completed 4 more ships. In response, they conquered the Norwegians. They besides want a full of six 212CDs. “The Russians are becoming increasingly active in the Barents Sea and the North Atlantic, so we request units that will be able to operate secretly in that region. Finally, we are NATO's eyes and ears in this part of the world," explained Norwegian Minister Tore Sandvik last year.

The ships that both countries ordered constitute a creative improvement of a proven 212A project. CD units will be larger than their predecessors, they will besides receive a more functional combat management strategy and better communication systems. They'll be in service by the end of this decade. In Norway, they will yet replace Ula ships serving there since the late 1980s and 1990s, and 212A ships in Germany. However, possibly our western neighbors will go a step further, due to the fact that already a fewer years ago, representatives of the British Navy claimed that the number of submarines remaining in active service should be increased from six to ten.
But fresh units not only get countries focused on the waters of northern Europe.

Barracuda smiles

– This ship will aid to rise our capabilities to the highest standards – said Sébastien Lecornu, then Minister of defence in the French government, in July last year, on the occasion of the introduction to the FS “Tourville” line – the 3rd of the six commissioned by Barracud's plan units. Modern nuclear-powered ships can carry, among others, dense F21 torpedoes, Exocet Block 2 anti-ship missiles, or long-range MdCN missiles capable of damaging land targets up to a 1000 kilometers away.

The first Barracuda reached full operational readiness in 2022, another – 2 years later. In fresh times, their construction has importantly accelerated. In early January, the French Naval Group reported that the 4th unit of the series – De Grasse – was completed 1 year before the deadline. The ship will begin its sea trials soon. In the background, of course, there is simply a ghost of Russia. This is especially about her ability to operate underwater. – Although the Russians did not always show performance in terms of the water fleet, it is fair to admit that they reflect the tremendous competences that date back to the Cold War – Lecornu emphasized during the July celebration. France wants to keep up with them. Therefore, it rapidly modernizes its resources, moving to the reserve of Rubis-type units constructed in the 1980s.

French submarine

At the same time, the French are ready to share their cognition with allies. Naval Group will build 4 Blacksword Barracuda ships. They will be units akin to those ordered by the French Marine, only on conventional drive. The contract was signed in 2024, and the first unit should be ready at the beginning of the next decade. It'll be named... Orc.

Nor does Britain slow down. In September last year, the Royal Navy introduced the sixth of the 7 nuclear-powered ships of the Astute task into service. These units are armed with dense Spearfish torpedoes, Tomahawk maneuvering missiles and Harpoon antishippers.

But it's not over. In the spring of last year, a keel was placed at Devonshire shipyard under the first of the Dreadnought ships, an atomic unit with a displacement of 17,2 1000 tons (for comparison, the buoyancy of Astute in the immersion is 7,000 tons). The ship equipped with 12 trident II 5D ballistic rocket launchers is expected to be ready in the first half of the next decade. In total, the Royal Navy intends to get 4 specified units that will replace the older Vanguards.

Meanwhile, the British are moving on. In June 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that as part of the large modernisation of the armed forces there are planning to purchase... 12 nuclear-powered ships of kind SSN-AUKUS.

British submarine

Of course, the submarine fleets besides strengthen the world’s top powers. The U.S. brings in more Virginia-type atomic ships, capable of carrying 12 Tomahawks. In the autumn of last year, the 25th unit of this type, the USS "Massachusetts", went to the US Navy, while the Defence Logistics Agency granted US companies an additional $5 billion to velocity up the implementation of the program. China, in turn, is working intensively on kind 096 atomic ships that can carry hypersonic missiles. Finally, in November 2025 Russia praised the launch of the "Chabarovsk" atomic vessel, which is to carry the celebrated Poseidon torpedoes, equipped with atomic warheads.

There are more akin examples. The planet has entered a time of large geopolitical change. The global situation is becoming increasingly tense, whereas larger and smaller countries are well aware that the ability to act in secret remains crucial. Thanks to submarines, they can conduct reconnaissance distant from their bases, effectively defender supply routes, which mostly run through the seas and oceans, and, if necessary, check the possible opponent. Therefore, the boom on this class of units should not be amazed to the slightest extent.