Saab contracted by FMV to install Sea Ceptor on Sweden’s Visby-class corvettes

Saab has been contracted by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to equip the Swedish Navy’s five Visby-class corvettes with the Sea Ceptor air defence system from MBDA, Saab announced on 28 May 2025.

The order for Saab, which is valued at around SEK 1.6 billion (EUR 150 million), is part of the FMV’s long-term plan to maintain and modernise the five Visby-class corvettes.

Installation of the Sea Ceptor system will allow the protection of a considerably larger area and the engagement of air targets at longer ranges compared to the existing weapon systems on the Visby-class corvettes, which have a Bofors 57 mm gun but are not currently armed with air defence missiles.

“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,” Mats Wicksell, head of Saab’s Kockums business area, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “With the air defence system on board, the Visby-class corvettes will continue to be a vital platform for many years to come,” he added.

The FMV placed an order for the Sea Ceptor air defence system with MBDA in November 2023. Saab’s work on modifying the Visby-class corvettes and installing the system will begin in early 2026.