Sweden awards Saab $1,0B contract for two A26 submarines to strengthen NATO deterrence.

Sweden’s defense procurement agency FMV has awarded Saab a $1,0 billion contract to complete production of two Blekinge-class A26 submarines, with delivery targets now set for 2031 and 2033. The move strengthens Sweden’s naval posture in the Baltic Sea following its NATO accession, ensuring advanced undersea capability through the next decade.

Swedish company Saab confirmed on October 13, 2025, that Sweden’s procurement agency FMV placed an additional order worth roughly $1,0 billion to cover the final production phase and added material and services for two Blekinge class A26 submarines. Saab says most deliveries under this tranche run from 2026 to 2032, reinforcing continuity at Kockums in Karlskrona. In parallel, FMV has updated the master agreement, setting new delivery targets for the boats in 2031 and 2033 and fixing total program cost around $2,6 billion. The A26 will field heavyweight Torpedo 62 and the new lightweight Torped 47, giving the Swedish Navy a balanced mix for anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare.
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A26 Blekinge-class is an ultra-quiet Stirling AIP sub with 9LV suite, Multi Mission Portal, and torpedoes for stealthy Baltic ASW/ASuW (Picture source: Saab).

At the heart of the Blekinge design is a scaled, quiet diesel-electric hull paired with Stirling air-independent propulsion, enabling discreet submerged endurance measured in weeks rather than days. Saab and naval sources place the class at about 65 meters in length with a surfaced displacement near 2,000 tonnes, operated by a core crew of roughly 26 sailors. In service, the A26 is expected to remain submerged for more than 18 days on AIP, a crucial attribute for Baltic Sea ambush profiles and long dwell ISR.

Sensors and combat systems aim squarely at low-probability-of-intercept operations. The boats integrate Safran’s non-penetrating Series 30 optronic mast family for panoramic surveillance and quick-look above-water checks, with simultaneous thermal and laser rangefinding. Fire control and data fusion run through Saab’s 9LV combat management system, a CMS that is already standard across Swedish surface combatants and scaled for submarine use, giving common software and training pipelines.

A defining A26 feature is the Multi Mission Portal, a 6-meter-long, 1.5-meter-wide lock built into the bow between the torpedo tubes. The portal allows rapid lock-out of combat swimmers and the launch or recovery of larger UUVs that would not fit through 533 mm tubes, eliminating the need for external dry-deck shelters. In practice, that means a single hull can shift in hours from classic torpedo hunter to seabed-warfare platform tasked to inspect cables, sea sensors, or to emplace mines.

Weapons fit is tuned for Sweden’s waters and threat set. Four 533 mm tubes will fire Torpedo 62, a pump-jet heavyweight designed for long-range engagements against subs and surface combatants, while 400 mm tubes employ the digital, wire-guided Torpedo 47 for close-in ASW in cluttered littorals. Both weapons are optimized for the cold, brackish Baltic, with the SLWT adding high endurance and agile homing for stalking quieter targets. Mine warfare remains part of the toolkit, and the CMS architecture preserves headroom for future payloads.

The A26 brings Sweden back to the cutting edge of conventional submarine warfare. Long silent periods on Stirling AIP permit covert pickets along chokepoints or prolonged trail missions against high-value units. The portal turns each hull into a mothership for UUVs, extending reach into shallow bays where larger boats cannot safely maneuver. Saab also highlights seabed-warfare roles, including hull-down resting on the bottom to reduce signatures while monitoring or protecting critical undersea infrastructure. For commanders, that is a toolkit tailor-made for the Baltic’s shallow, acoustically complex battlespace.

Sweden joined NATO on March 7, 2024, putting every Baltic shoreline except Kaliningrad and Russia proper under Allied flags. Since the Nord Stream sabotage in 2022 and a rise in hybrid activity at sea, Allies have intensified protection of cables, pipelines, and energy routes, including NATO’s launch of Operation Baltic Sentry in 2025. The A26 program’s updated cost ceiling and 2031-2033 deliveries reflect the realities of building a next-generation SSK, yet the payoff is clear. Once in fleet service, Blekinge boats will deepen the Alliance’s undersea picture in the Baltic, add a stealthy deterrent against opportunistic incursions, and give Stockholm a potent, sovereign capability to police its waters while contributing to NATO tasking.