Sweden’s Ministry of Defence has approved a new robotic missile hatch system for Visby-class corvettes. The system will allow the next-generation Robot 15 anti-ship missiles to be deployed while preserving the ships’ low radar signature. This upgrade enhances the Baltic fleet’s rapid, automated strike capabilities and reflects Stockholm’s deepening naval commitments within NATO.
Visby corvettes, built with carbon-fiber reinforced plastic hulls and faceted superstructures, were designed to minimize radar, infrared, and acoustic signatures. The new robotic hatch allows the heavier and longer-range Robot 15 Mk IV Gungnir missiles to be handled quickly and reliably. A prototype was tested at the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration’s Vidsel Test Centre, validating structural, software, and maintenance processes ahead of fleet installation.
The robotic hatch increases crew safety and enables rapid, radar-quiet missile launches. Installation will be phased in through 2030 and will become a central element of the Visby corvettes’ modernized automated weapons systems. Strategically, the system strengthens Sweden’s ability to create disproportionate effects with small surface combatants in the Baltic, integrating stealthy launch capabilities with next-generation air defense and automated missile handling.
