Swedish Visby corvettes will receive anti-aircraft missile weapons
Visby-class corvettes at sea. Photo: Swedish Ministry of Defense
The Swedish Navy and its contractors continue to prepare for the modernization of the Visby-class corvettes, and new details of this project are becoming known. So, the other day a contract appeared for the supply of anti-aircraft weapons for ships - they want to arm them with Sea Ceptor complexes with CAMM missiles. It is expected that the installation of modern air defense systems will significantly improve the overall combat qualities of corvettes.
Modernization plans
Let us recall that the project of the multi-purpose corvette “Visby” for the Swedish Navy was developed in the mid-nineties. In 1995, Swedish industry laid down the keel of the lead ship of the same name and handed it over in 2002 the fleet. Based on the results of testing the Visby corvette, the project was finalized, which made it possible to begin the construction of serial pennants. In 2009-2015 the customer received four more ships. The construction of the sixth corvette, provided for in the original contract, was abandoned.
The Visby project took an interesting approach to air defense issues. The main means of defense against air attack were to be the ship's stealth and the MASS multi-purpose jammer launcher. It was planned to hit air targets that managed to approach the ship with 57-mm shells from the Bofors Mk 3 automatic cannon.
Almost from the very beginning of the development of the Visby project, the possibility of equipping the ships with their own anti-aircraft missile system was discussed. Various options for such weapons were proposed and considered. In particular, in the 23s, the installation of a stationary version of the RBS 2008 Bamse air defense system was studied, but in XNUMX this idea was finally abandoned.
The corvette Nyköping uses CAMM missiles - so far only in the artist's rendition. MBDA Graphics
By the early twenties, the Swedish fleet had accumulated extensive experience in operating stealth corvettes and came to the conclusion that it was necessary to modernize them. A list of basic requirements for refining the design, installing new systems, etc. was compiled. In particular, practice has shown that ships require a full-fledged air defense system for self-defense and area coverage.
In January 2021, the Defense Technology Directorate of the Swedish Ministry of Defense awarded Saab an order to develop and implement a modernization project for five existing corvettes. The creation of a project that takes into account all the new wishes and requirements of the customer will be completed in the near future. The first of the corvettes will undergo repairs and modernization at the end of 2024 and will return to service in 2027. The last ship will be delivered to the customer no later than 2030. It is expected that such modernization will extend the service life of the ships until at least 2040.
Fleet selection
At the beginning of 2021, the Swedish Navy revealed the main plans and requirements for the corvette modernization project. However, they did not provide a list of new complexes and systems that will appear at Visby as a result of the new project. Apparently, at that time the customer and the contractor had not yet formed the final appearance of the modernized ship and had not selected the necessary products. However, by now some of these events have ended. Thus, it recently became known about the choice of air defense systems for corvettes.
On November 16, the international company MBDA announced that it had received an order from the Swedish Defense Equipment Agency. Under the terms of this document, the company must transfer Sea Ceptor anti-aircraft missile systems to Sweden for installation on Visby corvettes. Such air defense systems will be equipped with CAMM guided missiles, also produced by MBDA.
CAMM anti-aircraft missile. MBDA Graphics
The agreement provides for the supply of five air defense systems for existing corvettes and an unspecified number of missiles. The first set will be transferred to Saab in 2024-25, and by the beginning of 2026 it will be delivered to the carrier ship. Deliveries will then be made as work on other corvettes is completed. The total cost of all products has not yet been announced.
Technical issues
The company supplying air defense systems and missile defense systems does not disclose all the details of the signed contract, but has already shown its possible result. The MBDA press service has published an artistic rendering of a Visby-class corvette using CAMM missiles. This figure shows exactly how the new complex can be placed on an existing surface platform, and what missile launches should look like.
The image shows the fourth in the series corvette Nyköping (K34) in its post-modernization configuration. A vertical launcher of an unknown type is located on its deck behind the superstructure. The quality of the picture does not allow you to set the number of cells. At the same time, the frame shows nine CAMM missiles that have already launched from this installation.
According to the manufacturer, the Sea Ceptor air defense system can use vertical launchers of various types. The simplest is a module with a large number of vertical cells for standard missile transport and launch containers. At the same time, the head part of the TPK with a hemispherical lid protrudes above the deck level, which is why the installation has the nickname “mushroom farm”. Starting from such an installation and container is carried out in a cold way, using a separate powder charge in the TPK.
Installations of this kind are used on various ships in the UK and other countries. It can be assumed that Swedish Visby will also receive such equipment. With a total length of 72,7 m and a displacement of only 640 tons, such ships cannot be equipped with other types of installations without damaging existing systems. According to various estimates, a installation with up to 32 missiles can be placed under the deck of a corvette.
Launcher of the Sea Ceptor air defense system on the deck of the British frigate HMS Lancaster pr. "Type 023". Photo by UK Ministry of Defense
It is unclear how the radio-electronic part of the air defense system will be built. Corvettes have a standard Sea Giraffe AMB 3D airborne surveillance radar, which in theory can provide target designation to anti-aircraft weapons. However, during the modernization it is planned to replace the locator. The type of new radar has not yet been named, but it is clear that it will be able to support the operation of air defense systems and other weapons. In addition, the ship will have a control post for the anti-aircraft complex and corresponding instruments.
Visby will have to use CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) type missiles, originally created for the British fleet. This is a traditionally designed missile, intended for use as part of ship-based and ground-based air defense systems and capable of hitting a variety of aerodynamic targets. It is already in service with a dozen countries, and new contracts are expected.
The rocket is made in a cylindrical body with a diameter of 166 mm and a length of 3,2 m with folding tail stabilizers with a span of 450 mm. Starting weight – 99 kg. The product is equipped with a solid fuel motor, which accelerates it to a speed of approx. 3 M and provides a launch range of at least 25 km and an interception altitude of up to 10 km.
The missile has a combined guidance system. Flight to the target area is carried out using inertial navigation; There is a radio command trajectory correction mode. Direct targeting to the target is carried out using an active radar seeker. The destruction is carried out by a 10-kg high-explosive fragmentation warhead.
Catch up
During design and construction, the Swedish Visby-class corvettes were positioned as a unique development, combining the most modern and advanced technologies and solutions. In such advertising, special attention was paid to reducing visibility, which, in particular, was supposed to contribute to protection from air attack. The ships also received jamming capabilities, but not anti-aircraft missiles.
The lead corvette of the series is Visby. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Now Visby will also receive full-fledged short-range air defense systems. The installation of such defense systems will have a positive effect on the combat qualities and capabilities of ships. They will be able to protect themselves, squad ships, bases or water areas from air attack. Quite high performance characteristics have been declared for the Sea Ceptor complex and CAMM missiles, and the interest of the Swedish Navy in them is quite understandable.
It should be noted that the modernization of corvettes through the installation of modern air defense systems is an important, but still belated step. The ships should have been equipped with anti-aircraft missiles at the design and construction stage, but then they decided to do without them. This has negatively impacted the ships' capabilities and potential - and now the Navy and shipbuilders will have to make up for lost time as part of the modernization project.
It is obvious that Saab, the company responsible for developing the Visby modernization project, will face or has already faced certain difficulties. In particular, she will have to fit a launcher for new missiles into the finished design, as well as find a place for instruments and a control post for the air defense system. Whether there are suitable free volumes on the ship is a big question. At the same time, any difficulties of an engineering or technical nature can lead to delays in deadlines and other negative consequences.
Thus, the unique Swedish project of a small combat ship, based on a number of bold and promising solutions, turned out to be not the most successful in practice. Now it has to be modified, both to improve general characteristics and to obtain fundamentally necessary capabilities. Whether it will be possible to complete all the planned work within the required time frame and obtain the desired opportunities, time will tell.
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