Saab has signed a new Skr1.249bn ($147.66m) contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for the modification and modernisation of the Swedish Navy's Gävle-class corvettes.
Saab will be responsible for extending the life of two Gävle-class corvettes, HMS Gävle and HMS Sundsvall, under the deal.
The company will also conduct a general inspection after the vessels have been in service with the Swedish Navy for period of 72 months.
Additionally, the scope of the project involves the modernisation of the two corvettes via the integration of new and advanced combat system.
Saab Business Area Kockums senior vice-president and head Gunnar Wieslander said: “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.”
The modification work is slated to be carried out between this year and 2020 and will be conducted at Saab facilities in Karlskrona and in Järfälla, within the two business areas of Kockums and Surveillance.
The corvettes were specifically designed and optimised to operate in the waters surrounding Sweden, and mostly perform operational missions such as surface combat, anti-submarine warfare and air defence.
Both vessels were built as the Göteborg-class ships at the shipyard in Karlskrona between 1990 and 1993, alongside two further ships.
HMS Gävle and HMS Sundsvall became known as the Gävle-class vessels following an upgrade programme at the end of the 1990s.
Image: The corvette HMS Gävle of the Swedish Navy in Visby harbour. Photo: courtesy of Mr Bullitt.
