The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has contracted Saab for work on the modification and upgrades of the Swedish Navy’s two Gävle-class corvettes.
The BSEK 1.249 (approx. US$148 million) contract will see Saab perform life extension services on HMS Gävle and HMS Sundsvall.
Swedish shipbuilder Karlskronavarvet AB delivered four Göteborg-class corvettes to the Swedish Navy between 1990 and 1993. By the end of the 1990s, two of them were upgraded, HMS Gävle and HMS Sundsvall, and this gave rise to the Gävle-class.
According to the company, the contract will also require Saab to conduct a general inspection after the ships have been in service for 72 months. Besides this, the contract includes new, advanced combat system for the ships.
“We have a long experience in building and maintaining corvettes in steel, aluminium and in composite. The ships have good operational capabilities, high availability, long service life, and low operating costs. With a new, advanced combat system, the ships will be modernised to meet the customer’s demands,” says Gunnar Wieslander , senior vice president and head of business Area Kockums.
The work will be conducted at Saab in Karlskrona and in Järfälla within the two business areas, Kockums and Surveillance.