History | |
---|---|
Class and type: | Signals Intelligence Gathering vessel |
Name: | Orion |
Builder: | Kockums |
Launched: | June 1984 |
Homeport: | Karlskrona |
Identification: | A201 |
Status: | In active service |
General characteristics | |
Displacement: | 1,400 tons |
Length: | 61.2 m |
Beam: | 11.7 m |
Draft: | 3.8 m |
Propulsion: | 2 x Hedemora diesels |
Speed: | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
Complement: | 8 officers and 18 conscripts |
HSwMS Orion (A201) is a signals intelligence gathering vessel in the Swedish Navy.
HSwMS Orion was first launched in 1984. She was built with extensive support from the United States National Security Agency. In November 1985, the HSwMS Orion was rammed by a Soviet minesweeper after she got too close to a Soviet naval exercise. In 1998 Orion received a false bomb threat, which was widely covered in the Swedish newspapers. The ship is manned by Swedish Navy officers and sailors, as well as personnel from the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA). HSwMS Orion belongs to the 1st Submarine division. Orion shares a hull design with the Fiskeriverkets vessel Argos, an official fishing control vessel.
On 22 April 2010 the government of Sweden approved the acquisition of a new ship to replace HSwMS Orion since it no longer meets current sea safety rules. On April 17, 2017 a new intelligence ship was ordered from Saab AB. The new ship is to be commissioned by 2020 and have a displacement of 2300 tons.