SAAB Naval Projects

[Winchester]

So, a few years back SAAB posted a bunch of pictures of a series of small craft they'd designed, possibly just to show off their Sea Giraffe, CEROS, and EOS family (part of the 9LV combat system).

There were three ships in total:

The "FlexPatrol 98", a 98 meter patrol craft depicted with a 57 mm gun, what looks in the high rez images to be 16 VLS cells, RBS-15 launchers, a pair of CEROS-200 FCRs, a 30 mm MSI-DS Seahawk RWS, a pair of Trackfire RWS, and a pad for an NH90. The main radar is hidden inside the mast, and could be a Sea Giraffe 4A or a Sea Giraffe 4FF.

The "MCMV-80", an 80-meter mine countermeasures vessel that can also be configured as an OPV. In the CGI renders it has a 57 mm gun, a 30 mm RWS, a CEROS-200, a Sea Giraffe AMB, a helipad for drones, and a stern ramp for a pair of 11 m boats, either RHIBs or unmanned vehicles; but in physical models shown at UDT 2017 there are also a lighter mast with a SAAB Sea Giraffe 1X, a heavier enclosed mast with possibly a Sea Giraffe 4A, a longer flight deck for a medium helicopter, and a 30 mm main gun as options. An info plackard from the UDT 2017 show says it's 1,250 tons, 15 knots and 40-60 crew.

The "FAC 55", a 55 meter fast attack craft (missile) with a stealthy 57 mm (or 40 mm?) gun, Visby-style hidden missiles, and a cone mast that could be hiding pretty much anything.

FlexPatrol 98, in CGI form, also shows up in a 1 minute video on SAAB's youtube channel.

That's the sum total of what I've been able to find out about these things - Length, armament, sensors, but displacement, speed and crew only for the MCMV-80. And the SAAB website doesn't mention them any more (there used to be links but they're gone now), and the CGI images are basically only used to illustrate the radar systems.

Does anyone know any more about these, especially the FlexPatrol 98 and the FAC 55?

Does anyone have *more* weird SAAB concepts that are no longer referenced on their website? Or for that matter, Kockums concepts? (I know there were several enlarged versions of Visby drawn up at one point, but I only have silhouettes of those).

(Edit: I have much higher resolution versions of some of these that I found on Reddit of all places, but they're in .webp format which the attachment function doesn't recognize.)

 

[Winchester]

I should have checked Archive.org, 'cause *jackpot*.

The next generation Corvette | Multi-mission advantage | Saab

A family of flexible ships for combat and patrol, offering true multi-function capabilities. The next generation Corvette ships are based on proven design philosophies and technologies- and are well-adapted for modern warfare.

web.archive.org

The "Next Generation Corvette" (latest version of FlexPatrol 98) is 100 meters long, 15 meters wide over all, draws 3.5 meters of water, and is 2,400 tons. Speed is 26 knots, crew is 80 total.

It can handle a 12 ton helicopter, has two on-board VTOL UAVs, two 11-meter RHIBs, a 7.2 meter fast rescue boat, and can carry 10 TEU worth of mission containers.

Hull is High tensile steel, with a carbon fibre superstructure.

Pictures on the page are the same ones I already had.

Mine Counter Measure Vessels 80 | Mission focused and flexible | Saab

The naval mine has proved a useful and cost-effective weapon since it was developed in the 19th century. Representing a significant threat to even the most sophisticated warships, the naval mine has gradually evolved and incorporates a range of smart detonators.

web.archive.org

MCMV-80 is 80 meters long, 1,250 tons, 15 knots, has a crew of 40-60, has a composite or steel hull, and a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic superstructure, hangars for AUV and ROV, 2 stern ramps for 11 m RHIBs or USVs, and 2 TEU worth of mission containers.

Again, the pics are the same ones I already had.

I could *not* find a product page for the FAC-55 at first glance, I'll have to wade through the snapshots a bit.

I did find, on a much older version (from 2016), the product page that goes with the old FLEXPatrol 98 (shown in image 2 above), though it has no actual specs on it. There was some other 3D artwork on that version of the website though...

That second image with the frigate looking thing is *mighty* interesting.

 

[TandemHEAT]

I should have checked Archive.org, 'cause *jackpot*.

The next generation Corvette | Multi-mission advantage | Saab

A family of flexible ships for combat and patrol, offering true multi-function capabilities. The next generation Corvette ships are based on proven design philosophies and technologies- and are well-adapted for modern warfare.

web.archive.org

The "Next Generation Corvette" (latest version of FlexPatrol 98) is 100 meters long, 15 meters wide over all, draws 3.5 meters of water, and is 2,400 tons. Speed is 26 knots, crew is 80 total.

It can handle a 12 ton helicopter, has two on-board VTOL UAVs, two 11-meter RHIBs, a 7.2 meter fast rescue boat, and can carry 10 TEU worth of mission containers.

Hull is High tensile steel, with a carbon fibre superstructure.

Pictures on the page are the same ones I already had.

Mine Counter Measure Vessels 80 | Mission focused and flexible | Saab

The naval mine has proved a useful and cost-effective weapon since it was developed in the 19th century. Representing a significant threat to even the most sophisticated warships, the naval mine has gradually evolved and incorporates a range of smart detonators.

web.archive.org

MCMV-80 is 80 meters long, 1,250 tons, 15 knots, has a crew of 40-60, has a composite or steel hull, and a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic superstructure, hangars for AUV and ROV, 2 stern ramps for 11 m RHIBs or USVs, and 2 TEU worth of mission containers.

Again, the pics are the same ones I already had.

I could *not* find a product page for the FAC-55 at first glance, I'll have to wade through the snapshots a bit.

I did find, on a much older version (from 2016), the product page that goes with the old FLEXPatrol 98 (shown in image 2 above), though it has no actual specs on it. There was some other 3D artwork on that version of the website though...

That second image with the frigate looking thing is *mighty* interesting.

I’m pretty sure the rendering is just some half-assed Bhumibol Adulyadej class depiction.

 

[Winchester]

I’m pretty sure the rendering is just some half-assed Bhumibol Adulyadej class depiction.

I don't think so, there are some substantial differences that don't look like they're just "poor depiction", but rather an entirely different ship.

Most of the art on SAAB's website are either actual ships that were built (there's a lot of pictures of the RAN ANZAC and Canberra-class in the brochures for the 9LV system for example), or ships that SAAB or Kockums actually offered for sale (like the FlexPatrol). That thing with the Bhumidol Adulyadej-like Sea Giraffe AMB and 4A setup looks nothing like the Indonesian ship outside of the sensors used though.

 

[Petrus]

(Edit: I have much higher resolution versions of some of these that I found on Reddit of all places, but they're in .webp format which the attachment function doesn't recognize.)

As for .webp pictures, all you need to do is to open such a picture in MS Paint and then, using the Save As feature, save it in another format (.jpg, .png etc.). The newly saved copy should work as an attachment in this forum as well as elsewhere.

Piotr

 

[klem]

installs XnView, it converts a multitude of formats.

 

[dan_inbox]

Irfanview is also free, with lots of useful features.

 

[Winchester]

The images got way too big for the server in PNG format, and I'm not sure the two portrait-orientation images uploaded correctly as JPGs, but here goes.

Edit: They appear to work when you click on them even if the thumbnails are borked.

 

[Grey Havoc]

From September of last year:

Saab unveils new naval operator workspace concept and camouflage system - Breaking Defense

“I would consider any partner that will step up and say that ‘we're really interested in this’ because that would probably accelerate our process," said Saab's Johan Hagg of the workstation.

breakingdefense.com