Swedish FMV receives SIGINT ship HSwMS Artemis from Saab Artemis will replace the Swedish Navy’s three-and-a-half decades old ship HMS Orion by 2024.

 

HMS Artemis is a 74.6m-long and 14m-wide signal intelligence vessel. Credit: Glenn Pettersson/SAAB/FMV.

Saab Kockums has handed over the new signal intelligence (SIGINT) naval vessel, named HSwMS Artemis, to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets materielverk – FMV).

Following its delivery, the new vessel will now be equipped with SIGINT systems and naval intelligence sensors, under the supervision of Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment (Försvarets radioanstalt – FRA).

Once the new systems are installed, HSwMS Artemis will replace the Swedish Navy’s three-and-a-half decades old vessel HSwMS Orion by 2024.

The signals intelligence gathering vessel HMS Orion (A201)

FMV Naval Materiel head Patric Hjorth said: “With Artemis, Sweden will have a modern ship with a better working environment for personnel and better signals intelligence capability. FMV’s focus is now to complete and hand over vessel to the Swedish Armed Forces as quickly as possible.”

The 74.6m-long vessel will provide better electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) to the Swedish forces. EMC’s improvements signify that the level of interfering signals emitted by the vessel has now been minimised.

Besides, the ship will offer enhanced manoeuvrability or better onboard living environment for the Swedish naval forces and FRA personnel.

HSwMS Artemis was ordered by the FMV in 2017.

Saab later selected Polish sub-contractor, including Polish Nauta Shiprepair Yard, to develop the new vessel which was launched in 2019.

The ship was initially scheduled to be delivered in 2020, however, the construction process was delayed due to the pandemic and certain financial challenges at the Polish sub-contractor’s end.

Saab then adjusted the work plan and carried out the final vessel construction at facility in Karlskrona, in collaboration with Polish sub-contractors.

Saab Kockums Business Area head Mats Wicksell said: “This is an important day in Saab’s history, when the shipyard in Karlskrona is delivering the first new constructed ship after Saab’s take-over of Kockums ten years ago.”