Babcock to support design of Swedish Navy’s new Luleå-class surface combatant
The Swedish Navy has planned to buy four Luleå-class ships. (Image: Saab)
It is believed the Luleå-class will be about 100m-long and displace about 3,000–4,000 tonnes. The ships will be designed to operate in the Baltics, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and will incorporate capabilities to conduct AAW, ASuW and ASW operations.
Saab has selected Babcock International Group to support the design for the development of the Swedish Navy’s new Luleå-class Surface Combatant.
Saab has been commissioned by FMV, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, to design four ships for the Swedish Navy. Babcock will initially provide engineering support including structural design and auxiliary systems as part of an effort to complete the basic design phase.
Babcock and Saab will also work closely together to identify potential export markets for the Luleå design. The new collaboration has followed the Strategic Cooperation Agreement signed by Saab and Babcock at DSEI in September 2023.
Shephard Defence Insight noted that the future surface combatants would be called Luleå, Norrköping, Trelleborg and Halmstad.
In April 2024, Shephard reported that the programme had completed the first stage of the Product Definition Phase in 2023, and the second stage had been initiated. The current stage has been planned to be finished in mid-2025 followed by a building contract.
Should a contract be awarded in 2025, with construction starting the following year, the lead ship could be launched in 2028 and enter service in 2030. The second unit could be delivered in 2031 and the following two ships by the mid-2030s.
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