Sweden has awarded Saab a 350-million-kroner ($33.8 million) contract to provide life extension services for two Swedish Navy Koster-class minehunter vessels.
The agreement will see the replacement and integration of new equipment to “ensure continued operability” of the ships.
Among the capabilities to be updated are radar navigation, combat systems, and surface sensors.
A 270-million-kroner ($26 million) option to work on three additional Koster ships is also part of the contract.
“The mine countermeasure ships are an important capability for Sweden and for the protection of the Baltic Sea,” Saab Kockums Shipyard Head Lars Tossman said.
“The contract means that the ships’ continued availability is ensured and is a testament to Saab’s competence to modify and develop capabilities on existing platforms.”
Sweden’s Mine Countermeasures Vessels
The design for Sweden’s mine countermeasures vessels was based on the Landsort-class. The vessels have received mid-life upgrades since 2009 and were renamed the Koster-class.
The minehunters continue to receive advanced capabilities, including recent remote-controlled, subsurface drones.
The Swedish Navy uses the fleet for naval mine clearance and maritime surveillance.
Each Koster is armed with autocannons and machine guns for surface missions, depth charges, mines, and grenades for anti-submarine warfare.
