UK-based Babcock International has been selected by Saab to support the design of the Swedish Navy’s new Luleå-class surface combatants, Babcock announced on 16 May 2024.
Saab has been commissioned by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to to manage the basic design phase of the project, which will see four Luleå-class ships built for the Swedish Navy.
Babcock will initially provide engineering support, including structural design and auxiliary systems, supporting Saab to complete the basic design phase for the ships.
During a visit to Babcock’s Rosyth facility in Scotland, senior representatives from the Swedish Navy, UK Royal Navy, FMV, Saab and Babcock met to mark the beginning of the ambitious new collaboration in naval programme delivery, which follows a Strategic Co-operation signed by Saab and Babcock at the DSEI defence exhibition in London in September 2023.
Babcock and Saab will also work closely together to identify potential export markets for the Luleå design.
Mats Wicksell, senior vice president and head of Saab’s Kockums business area, was quoted in a Babcock press release as saying, “We are proud to take on the mission to start the basic design of the new Luleå class for Sweden and happy to co-operate with Babcock in this project. This is an important collaboration between Swedish and British shipbuilders, and I am looking forward to a close teamwork to strengthen the Swedish capabilities at sea.”
David Lockwood, Babcock’s CEO, added, “This is a hugely important programme for the Swedish Navy, Saab and Babcock. Our collective capabilities in Karlskrona and Rosyth will ensure we deliver a class-leading design for the new Luleå platforms.”
At over 100 m in length, the Luleå-class ships will be the largest ships in Swedish Navy service once they are commissioned. The first pair of corvettes are to be commissioned by 2030 and the second pair by 2035.
Anti-air warfare will be one of the main capabilities of the new ships.
