FMV, Sweden’s defence materiel administration, has confirmed it expects work to commence on equipping the Swedish Navy’s five Visby corvettes with air defence missile systems next year.
Saab’s Kockums division has been contracted to install the Sea Ceptor missiles produced by MBDA fired via Lockheed Martin’s ExLS launcher. The installation contract has been valued at roughly SEK 1.6 billion (a little more than £120 million).
The systems will be fitted as part of the vessels’ mid-life upgrade at Saab’s Karlskrona facility from 2026 onwards.
The boats are scheduled to be fitted with the standard version of the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile; the 3.2-metre projectiles fly at about Mach 3 and have a range of just over 15 miles.
When the deal was first announced, head of Saab’s Kockums division Mats Wicksell commented: “This modification strengthens both Sweden’s and NATO’s air and missile defence by increasing the Swedish Armed Forces’ operational capability and ability to operate across the entire conflict spectrum.
“With the air defence system on board, the Visby-class corvettes will continue to be a vital platform for many years to come.”
- You can read more details on the FMV website and the Saab website