Swedish defence awards contracts for warship acquisitions, upgrades

The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets materielverk; FMV) and local defence contractor Saab have entered into two agreements concerning mid-life upgrades (MLU) for the Swedish Royal Navy’s existing Visby-class corvettes and the development of upgraded vessels of the same class.

The contracts include requirements’ analysis and are respectively the start of the modification work of five existing corvettes and the acquisition of the Visby Generation 2 ships.

The newer Visby-class corvettes will each have a modern anti-ship missile system, torpedo system, and air defence missile system.

Meanwhile, the existing Visby-class ships, which were first introduced in the early 2000s, are expected to undergo modifications that will enable them to serve beyond 2040. The modifications will include upgraded anti-ship missiles and torpedoes as well as the incorporation of air defence missiles, a capability which was not present in the vessels’ original design.

The two contracts have a total value of approximately SEK190 million (US$22.7 million).