As the most advanced main surface combat ship of the Swedish Navy, the Visby-class stealth frigate undertakes anti-ship, anti-submarine and anti-mine warfare missions. Around the world, surface combat ships with better combat performance abound, but the unique design of the Visby-class corvettes is enough to make them go down in world naval history. Today, 20 years after the launch of the first ship, some performance characteristics of the Visby class are still difficult to surpass by future generations.
In appearance, the most obvious feature of Visby is its highly stealthy design to reduce its radar, infrared, optical, acoustic, magnetic signal, electrical signal and other characteristics, improve the difficulty of enemy detection and improve survivability. In addition, the hull of the Visby class is made entirely of carbon fiber, which makes it enter service with a full load displacement of only 650 tons, which is much smaller than steel ships of the same size, giving it greater speed, maneuverability and maintainability.
The Visby-class patrol ships can be described as small and all-in-one. Armament consisted of a Bofors 57mm naval gun, two quadruple RBS-15 anti-ship missiles, two twin 400mm torpedo tubes, mines and depth charges. Sensors include the marine giraffe AMB radar, CEROS-200 fire control radar, hull sonar and active/passive composite towed sonar. It can also carry UUVs (unmanned underwater vehicles) and minesweepers, and there is also a helicopter deck at the stern.
The lead ship of the Visby class drops depth charges
In January 2021, Saab and FMV (Swiss Defense Materials Authority) signed a contract to officially begin the design and upgrade of the Visby-class frigate mid-term upgrade, which is scheduled to be completed by 2030, allowing the Visby class to serve until the 2040s. The mid-term upgrade project is numerous, including two crucial major surgeries in addition to updating its existing weaponry and sensors.
The Visby class was originally intended to be equipped with the South African-developed Lance anti-aircraft missile, but the plan was later cancelled. In the mid-term upgrade, the Visby class will be equipped with a vertical launch system in the rear superstructure and equipped with 24 anti-aircraft missiles, and it is not yet known which anti-aircraft missile will be used.
The moment the Lance anti-aircraft missile was launched
In addition to the addition of vertically launched anti-aircraft missiles, the Visby class will also increase the hull from the current 73 meters to 82.8 meters in a mid-term upgrade. This will increase the full load displacement of the Visby class from the current 700 tons to 830 tons, increase the draft from 2.4 meters to 2.55 meters, reduce fuel consumption rate by 20~25%, and maintain the maximum speed at more than 35 knots.
The extension of the hull has also significantly increased the available space inside the Visby class, the mission and power compartments below the helicopter deck have been enlarged, and the weight redundancy has been increased by 10 tons, laying the foundation for possible further upgrades in the future.
The contract between Saab and FMV also includes design work for the second-generation Visby-class to serve as the next generation surface combat ship VSF-2030 for the Swedish Navy.
Saab first released an imaginary image of the second-generation Visby class in 2017. Its design heavily references the Visby class, on the basis of which it was enlarged and significantly strengthened air defense. A total of 4 ships are expected to be built in the second-generation Visby class, with deliveries starting in 2030.
Saab's early disclosure of the second-generation Visby-class imaginary diagram
On November 1, Michael Biden, the top commander of the Swedish armed forces, reported to the Swedish government on his proposed defense budget. It is proposed to raise military spending to 2% of GDP (gross national product) by 2026, two years earlier than originally planned. The military will expand from 70,000 in 2023 to 120,000 in 2035, of which the number of active-duty conscripts will increase from 15,000 in 2023 to 50,000 in 2035. No red lines prohibiting NATO from deploying nuclear weapons and military bases on Swedish soil to minimize obstacles to Sweden's membership in NATO. The Swedish military needs to deepen cooperation with NATO and adapt to NATO's needs.
At a time when Sweden is preparing to join NATO, the second-generation Visby class can better cooperate with NATO ships and perform IAMD (Integrated Air Defense and Anti-Missile) missions, allowing Sweden to play an important role in NATO.