The Swedish defence material administration, FMV, has awarded a contract to Saab to extend service life of two Koster-class mine countermeasures vessels (MCMVs).
The contract is valued at SEK350m ($33.56m) and comes with options to carry out life extension of the remaining three Koster-class MCMVs.
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The options, if exercised by FMV, have a value of SEK270m ($25.89m).
Saab business area Kockums Head Lars Tossman said: “The mine countermeasure ships are an important capability for Sweden and for the protection of the Baltic Sea.
“The contract means that the ships’ continued availability is ensured and is a testament to Saab’s competence to modify and develop capabilities on existing platforms.”
Under the modernisation contract, the company will exchange and install new capability systems on the ships to ensure their operability whenever and wherever required.
Saab will install a new navigation radar, combat systems and surface sensors’ related capabilities and other upgrades.
In the 2004, Kockums won a contract for a mid-life upgrade programme of five Landsort-class minehunters. These upgraded vessels were renamed as Koster-class MCMVs.
The programme saw modification and addition of new capabilities, including remotely controlled underwater vehicles with a minehunting capability, to the ships.
The Koster-class MCMVs design incorporates features that allow them to be deployed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations, mine-hunting, maritime surveillance, and naval mine clearance operations.
During ASW missions, the ships are capable of using mines, depth charges and grenades.
