Ukraine could theoretically receive or purchase Swedish Visby-class stealth corvettes; however, such a prospect looks unlikely in the coming years. This was reported by Defense Express, according to UNN.
Details
As the publication notes, Sweden has already decided on a replacement for its corvettes – new French FDI frigates under the Luleå project. The construction of four ships is planned, with delivery scheduled for 2030-2034. These are intended to gradually replace the Visby class in the Swedish fleet.
Visby corvettes are characterized by their compact dimensions – displacement is only 640 tons, and the hull length is 72.7 meters. Despite this, the ships are equipped with serious armament, including a 57mm Bofors Mk3 gun, torpedoes, and eight launchers for RBS 15 anti-ship missiles, which Ukraine already uses in a coastal version.
Sweden modernizes Visby and does not plan to decommission the ships soon
After modernization, the corvettes will also receive vertical launch systems for CAMM-ER missiles with a strike range of over 40 kilometers. One of the main advantages of the Visby is its stealth hull design, which reduces the ship's visibility to enemy radar.
Defense Express notes that such ships could significantly strengthen the Ukrainian Navy, complementing the Ada-class corvettes – "Hetman Ivan Mazepa" and "Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky." At the same time, experts emphasize that even modern stealth corvettes remain vulnerable to Russian missiles, drones, and aviation due to the limited size of the Black Sea and the high saturation of the region with strike capabilities.
Furthermore, Sweden is unlikely to agree to a rapid transfer of the Visby class, as the new frigates have not yet entered service, and the corvettes themselves are planned for use until at least the 2040s following modernization. The publication believes that Ukraine's potential acquisition of such ships currently remains a matter of the distant future.