STOCKHOLM — This spring, Sweden is expected to decide on one of its largest defense procurements since the Cold War. The addition of four new frigates to the Royal Swedish Navy, designated the Luleå-class, will strengthen the navy’s capabilities in the Baltic Sea and the High North amid threats from Russia.
The price tag is unknown but is expected to be around 40 to 60 billion Swedish kronor, or approximately $4.5 to $6.7 billion. Also unknown until this week: What exactly home industrial champion Saab would be offering with its partner, UK firm Babcock.
That mystery has been answered: The firms are offering the Arrowhead 120, a variant of the Arrowhead 140. The 140 has formed the basis of ships purchased by the UK (Type 31), Poland (Miecznik), and Indonesia (Merah Putih).
The partnership aims to bring together “a proven, export-ready design tailored to Sweden’s needs,” Saab’s spokesperson Ulrika Langels told Breaking Defense.
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) is also evaluating France’s Naval Group (FDI frigate), and Spain’s Navantia (Alfa 4000 light frigate), though FMV remains cautious regarding comments on the procurement of new surface combatants. The evaluation “is classified and therefore cannot be commented on further,” the agency’s spokesperson Lukas Linné stated to Breaking Defense.
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Babcock’s Arrowhead 120 variant measures 406 feet (124 meters) in length and displaces around 4,650 tonnes. It features a steel hull paired with a lightweight composite superstructure, optimizing the design for territorial defense in the Baltic Sea and High North.
It is equipped to counter air threats, including ballistic missiles, and provides defensive capabilities against manned or unmanned threats above and under surface, and combining long endurance and survivability with exceptional manoeuvrability, according to the joint statement from the Swedish and British defense firms.
“This will contribute to the overall defense and security of Sweden, and supports the long-standing and strong relationship between Sweden and the UK.” Langels said.
The Swedish defense firm leads the combat system integration, drawing on recent experience from Singapore’s Multi-Role Combat Vessel and Poland’s SIGINT ship, the second of which was launched in January. It is also supplying the fully equipped composite superstructures, anti-ship missiles, and lightweight torpedoes, Saab said to Breaking Defense.
Final design selection is expected “this spring, followed by contract negotiations,” the defense minister’s spokesperson told Breaking Defense. The first two frigates are targeted for delivery by 2030, with all four completed by 2035.
The Luleå- class effort has been somewhat troublesome. Initially in 2021, FMV awarded Saab Kockums a contract for the product definition phase of the Visby Generation 2 corvettes, a new class based on the existing Visby-class stealth vessels which measures 236-foot (72-meter)
Those smaller vessels are more easily navigated in the shallow Baltic Sea with its extensive archipelago.
However, the program was canceled in 2023 amid Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Sweden’s push toward NATO membership (finalized in 2024), leading to Saab teaming up with Babcock for a new, larger design.
The four new Luleå-class ships (170 feet longer than the Visby-class) will offer greater endurance, multi-domain operations, and integration of advanced air defense systems, while supporting unmanned technologies and extended reach to complement ongoing upgrades to the existing fleet of five Visby corvettes.
Navy Chief Rear Adm. Johan Norlén told Breaking Defense last year that the larger design is better suited for Sweden’s new mission as a NATO member — defending Finland and the Baltic littorals as opposed to only its territorial waters.
Foreign Suppliers Rare In Sweden
The fact Stockholm is considering an off-the-shelf option represents a significant shift in Swedish naval tradition, which has preferred to build its own vessels domestically. Even if Saab wins, the physical hull will be produced outside the country.
Historically, Swedish Kockums (now part of Saab) has built the navy’s surface combatants, including the current five stealth corvettes of the Visby class completed in the 1990s which are now being upgraded to serve beyond the 2040s.
There are geopolitical ties that could give the Arrowhead 120 offering an edge. Obviously the presence of Saab matters, but in addition, the British lead Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) has intensified UK-Nordic cooperation in the Baltic and High North regions. While France and Spain are NATO allies, they are not JEF members and lack the British Royal Navy’s extensive historical presence in the Baltic.
Traditionally, Swedish defense procurement has also been partly tied to bilateral military relations between the buyer and seller states. Notably, Sweden has had a long-standing and very close naval relationship with the UK since the end of WWII. During the Cold War, naval relations with the UK were top secret due to Sweden’s official doctrine of military non-alignment, but were ongoing.
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It is only in recent years that Sweden and France have evolved their bilateral military relations, including joint exercises. France recently signed a contract for two GlobalEye surveillance aircraft from Saab, also making them a strong bidder in the upcoming navy defense deal with Sweden.
Spain is said to be the “dark horse” in this competition.
