N700110 DUTCH SUBMARINE CLASS ZWAARDVIS

Units of type Zwaardvis They were Dutch classic fighter submarines (diesel-electric), which served under the Dutch flag in the years 1972-1995. A single ship of this type was 66.9 m long and 8.4 m wide, and the underwater displacement was about 2,650 tons. The maximum underwater speed was up to 20 knots. The armament consisted of 6 533 mm torpedo tubes. Type submarines Zwaardvis were developed for the needs of the Dutch Navy (hereinafter: MW) in the 1960s. They were heavily based on the American Barbel class and with the use of some American technology. Interestingly, it was initially assumed that they would be nuclear-powered, but relatively quickly, it was realized that such a solution was unrealistic due to the excessively high costs. For this reason, it was decided to use a classic drive. At the end of the 1980s, both Zwaardvis-class ships were modernized through the use of new electronic equipment. Despite attempts to sell them on export markets, the Zwaardvis class units were sold for scrap in 2006. However, in 1986, the MW of the Republic of China in Taiwan ordered 2 units of this type, which still (in 2022) remain in the line, creating the Hai Lung class.