Saab starts deliveries of new lightweight antisubmarine torpedo to Swedish FMV Defence Procurement Agency.

Saab has made the first deliveries of the new lightweight torpedo (Saab Lightweight Torpedo) to Sweden’s Defence Procurement Agency FMV. Saab Lightweight Torpedo, named Torped 47 by the Swedish Armed Forces, is Sweden's new lightweight torpedo system for defence against foreign submarines.
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Saab Lightweight Torpedo, named Torped 47 by the Swedish Armed Forces, is Sweden's new lightweight torpedo system for defence against foreign submarines (Picture source: Saab)

The torpedo is intended primarily for Swedish submarines and Visby corvettes, but it is also prepared for integration on helicopters. FMV is now undertaking final verification of the torpedo system to ensure it meets their requirements, before commissioning with the Royal Swedish Navy.

“The first delivery of our new lightweight torpedo marks an important milestone for the development project, which is one of our largest ever within our business unit Underwater Systems. Now the process of commissioning and replacing Sweden's existing lightweight torpedo with the new one begins, with Saab ensuring that Sweden has a state-of-the-art lightweight torpedo at the forefront of technology," said Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.

The torpedo has been specially developed for the environment in the Baltic Sea with its shallow water and complex topography and seabed. These place high demands on the locating and identification of submarines, as well as on navigation and communication by the torpedo. SLWT boasts a fully digital homing system, wire-guided and fire-and-forget operation and adapts to various harsh hydroacoustic conditions. Indeed, the Torped 47 or SLWT (Saab’s Lightweight Torpedo) provides multiple-target active/passive homing for the final phase, combined with wire guidance. It uses wire communication like the Torpedo 45 it will replace, using a galvanic wire (later also an optical wire).

Torpedo 47 can be launched from a variety of platforms including stationary, surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and airplanes like Saab Swordfish MPA.

The new lightweight torpedo was ordered by Sweden in 2016, followed by Finland in 2018. SLWT will also be delivered to the Finnish Navy as part of the Squadron 2020 program and will be installed on the Hamina-class during MLU and the new Pohjanmaa-class corvette.