Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has awarded Saab Kockums a £750 million contract to cover the final production phase of the two A26 submarines it is building for the Swedish Navy.
A contract to build the two forthcoming Blekinge-class boats was signed with the company back in 2015 and the first boat is set to be commissioned in 2031; her sister boat Skåne is projected for 2035.
In a press statement Saab said it expected “the vast majority of deliveries” under the SEK 9.6 billion deal to happen between next year and 2032.
In June the firm’s Karlskrona shipyard completed the mid-life upgrade of HSwMS Halland, the third Gotland-class submarine of the Swedish Navy.
Many of the upgrades fitted to HSwMS Halland, featuring changes to more than 20 systems including sensors and command systems, will also be fitted to the Blekinge-class submarines.
The new boats will feature X-shaped rudders and have been designed to work in tandem with Saab’s Autonomous Ocean Drone and other uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs).
It will control the UUVs via Saab’s “Autonomous Ocean Core” AI system, which will also have a role in navigation, sensor fusion and electronic warfare (EW) functions. The boats are expected to be powered via the firm’s own fifth-generation air-independent propulsion (AIP) system.
President and CEO of Saab Micael Johansson commented: “Saab is currently building the world’s most advanced conventional submarines for Sweden.
“Following excellent cooperation between Saab and FMV we have ensured that Sweden has a state-of-the-art underwater capability which will contribute to keeping our nation’s waters safe for decades to come.”
- You can read more details on the Saab website