Sweden's Visby-class corvettes to receive major air defence upgrade with Sea Ceptor system
Saab has secured a contract from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to upgrade the Swedish Navy’s five Visby-class corvettes with MBDA’s Sea Ceptor naval air defence system. The agreement, valued at approximately SEK 1.6 billion, marks a significant step in enhancing Sweden’s and NATO’s integrated air and missile defence capabilities.
In brief
The Swedish defence procurement agency FMV has commissioned Saab to integrate the MBDA-made Sea Ceptor air defence system on five Visby-class corvettes of the Swedish Navy. The contract is worth about SEK 1.6 billion, and work will begin in early 2026. Sea Ceptor is based on CAMM missiles and allows simultaneous engagement of multiple air targets, including aircraft, helicopters and cruise missiles. Saab Kockums head Mats Wicksell stated that the modification strengthens Swedish and NATO air and missile defence.
This upgrade is part of FMV’s long-term modernisation programme aimed at maintaining and future-proofing the operational relevance of the Visby-class corvettes. With the Sea Ceptor system onboard, the vessels will gain the capability to defend a substantially larger area and engage a wider range of airborne threats at extended distances—far exceeding the capabilities of the current onboard systems.
- This modification strengthens both Sweden’s and NATO’s air and missile defence by increasing the Swedish Armed Forces' operational capability and ability to operate across the entire conflict spectrum. With the air defence system on board, the Visby-class corvettes will continue to be a vital platform for many years to come, stated Mats Wicksell, Head of Saab’s business area Kockums.
The Sea Ceptor system—already ordered separately by FMV from MBDA—employs the CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) to provide all-weather, high-readiness protection against a variety of aerial threats including aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles. It also supports simultaneous multi-target engagement and rapid system response times, making it a key component in modern naval warfare.
Saab is scheduled to commence the integration and modification work on the Visby-class corvettes in early 2026. Once completed, the upgraded ships will significantly enhance Sweden’s ability to secure strategic maritime zones and contribute more effectively to NATO-led operations in the Baltic Sea region and beyond.
Source: Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier
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