Saab Selects Babcock for Design of Luleå-class

Babcock has been selected by Saab to assist in the design for the development of Sweden's new surface combatants in the Luleå class. Saab was commissioned by FMV to design four new ships for the navy. Babcock will initially provide engineering support to assist Saab in completing the initial design phase, write Babcock and Saab in press releases.

During a visit to Babcock's facility in Rosyth, Scotland, senior representatives from the Swedish Navy, the United Kingdom's Royal Navy, FMV, Saab, and Babcock met to mark the beginning of the new collaboration.

– We are proud to undertake the task of starting the basic design of the new Luleå class for Sweden and delighted to collaborate with Babcock on this project. This is an important collaboration between Swedish and British shipbuilders, and I look forward to close cooperation to strengthen Sweden's capabilities at sea, says Mats Wicksell, Senior Vice President and Head of Saab Kockums.

During the defence exhibition DSEI in September 2023, the companies signed a strategic cooperation agreement regarding exploring the possibility of developing a design for a new approximately 100-metre-long corvette, which FSN previously reported on.

Babcock and Saab will also work closely together to identify potential export markets for the design of the Luleå class, the companies write.

In 2019, Babcock received an order for five frigates called Type 31 from the Royal Navy. The Type 31 is based on the export variant Arrowhead 140, which among others Indonesia and Poland have chosen to replace their frigates.

– This is a very important programme for Sweden's navy, Saab, and Babcock. Our combined capabilities in Karlskrona and Rosyth will ensure that we deliver a leading design for Luleå, says David Lockwood, CEO of Babcock.