Naval Group has awarded Saab a 2-billion-Swedish-krona contract to equip four Swedish Navy FDI frigates with weapons, sensors and associated control systems. Scheduled for execution between 2027 and 2034, the $202-million agreement includes RBS 15 anti-ship missiles, Lightweight Torpedoes, Trackfire remote weapon stations and Sea Giraffe 1X surveillance radars. Saab will also supply an unspecified weapon-control system, Ceros fire-control director and EOS 500 electro-optical sensor. The four vessels are being procured under Sweden’s approximately 47-billion-krona contract with Naval Group and will become the Luleå-class frigates. The programme is intended to reinforce Swedish maritime and air defence in the Baltic Sea following the country’s NATO accession in 2024. Each ship will be 122 metres long and 18 metres wide, with accommodation for more than 125 crew members. Aviation facilities will support a rotary-wing aircraft such as the NH90 and an unmanned aerial system. The frigates will also incorporate Naval Group’s Setis combat management system, digital communications and navigation equipment, and electronic warfare capabilities. Their armament will combine surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, lightweight torpedoes and 57mm and 40mm naval guns. Two MTU 16V 8000 M91L engines will provide a combined 43,000 horsepower, supporting speeds above 26 knots, a range of 5,000 nautical miles and deployments lasting up to 45 days.
