T121 Spica - Sweden
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T121 Spica - Sweden
The Spica class was a class of six fast torpedo boats built for the Swedish Navy in the 1960s and decommissioned in the late 1980s. One ship, HSwMS Spica T121, is preserved as a museum ship in Stockholm, Sweden.
The hull was made of steel, unlike some other contemporary designs which used plywood. Although the boat had a relatively small hull and displacement, this provided a stable platform. The Bridge and Operations Room were located at the rolling and stamping centre of the ship which further improved stability for the crew especially in high seas. The boats were fitted with a NBC support system where the hull could be closed down in the event of having to operate in a nuclear fall-out area.
The machinery consisted of three shafts powered by British built, Bristol Proteus gas turbines at 12,750 hp (9,510 kW) which allowed speeds above 40 knots. Three MTU gas turbines were also installed as auxiliary generators.
The torpedo armament consisted of six 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes which were positioned at an angle. Hydrogen-peroxide propelled, wire guided torpedoes were used. The gun armament consisted of a single Bofors 57 mm gun, which was capable of firing 200 rounds per minute over an effective range of 8,500 m (27,887 ft). The gun could engage both surface and airborne targets. There were also six 57 mm (2 in) and four 103 mm (4 in) rocket launchers capable of firing chaff, infrared countermeasures and illuminating projectiles (starshell). The torpedo boats had a scanning and a fire control radar with a basic fire control computer. There were plans to replace the torpedo tubes with anti-ship missiles in the 1980s but these plans were cancelled.
