Visby (FSG)

The Visby class is a class of five stealth corvettes in service with the Swedish Navy. It is the latest class of corvette adopted by the navy after the Göteborg and Stockholm-class corvettes. Its design emphasizes low visibility radar cross-section and infrared signature, and the class has received widespread international attention because of its capabilities as a stealth ship. The first ship in the class is named after Visby, the main city on the island of Gotland. The Visby ships were designed by Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and built by Saab Kockums AB in Karlskrona. The first ship of the class was launched in 2000, but production then suffered repeated delays. The fifth and final ship was delivered in 2015.

Developed by Kockums in the 1990s based on lessons from the experimental stealth vessel Smyge, the class was designed to counter modern Baltic Sea threats with a pioneering carbon-fiber hull. The lead ship, HMS Visby, was launched in 2000 but did not officially enter active operational service until 2012 after extensive testing and integration of its advanced combat systems. While they have not seen active combat, these vessels have been frequently deployed in major multinational Baltic Sea exercises, such as BALTOPS, showcasing Sweden's littoral defense capabilities. Currently, the five active vessels are undergoing mid-life upgrades to integrate modern air defense missiles, securing their legacy as trailblazers in naval composite materials and stealth design.