Swedish Navy Test-Fires Saab’s New Torpedo 47

The Swedish Navy fired Saab’s Torpedo 47 from a corvette and a submerged submarine to confirm the weapon’s performance recently.

On December 3, Swedish Navy corvettes left harbor to carry out live firings of the new lightweight torpedo system while a submarine waited below the surface. From the corvette’s combat control center, the ship’s anti-submarine warfare officer initiated launch.

Crew members tracked the weapon’s approach on large screens as the torpedo’s onboard sensors locked onto the target. Moments later, the torpedo struck a large barge used as the target. The blast lifted the vessel several meters before the torpedo signal dropped at detonation.

The trial was conducted with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, the Swedish Defence Research Institute, and Saab. Commander Robert Schöllin, head of the Navy’s materiel office, observed the firing from the signal bridge.

Torpedo 47 will equip Swedish Navy corvettes and submarines for anti-submarine warfare and surface combat. The system has been designed specifically for the shallow, acoustically complex waters of the Baltic Sea.

“Compared to the previous Torpedo 45, Torpedo 47 has better performance in all areas. New propulsion provides longer range and higher speed. The torpedo has a new seeker and better effectiveness,” Schöllin said.

A torpedo firing from a submarine was conducted in parallel with the surface launch.