Saab Kockums’ maiden voyage (Part.2) ducon site in (next to Swe- defence technology developments. den’s main navy base), and also a for- Löfvén is presently (September 30) mer navy dockyard at Muskö for forming a government with the Green maintenance and repair. Party (with 36.9 % of the votes togeth-

Saab’s broad naval presence er – leaving the Le Party out). On

By April, 2014, Thyssen Krupp Marine Prior to acquiring Kockums, Saab also September 29, the party leaders of this Systems (TKMS, the then German own- had several other facilies in the Saab two-party coalion declared that the er of Kockums) and Saab had signed a Group involved in naval defence sys- Green Party accepts the Gripen and Memorandum of Understanding tems: torpedo development in Linkö- development, but that the stang that Saab would acquire ping, missiles in Linköping, C3I systems Swedish defence export regulaons Kockums. Saab had courted TKMS in Järfälla and radar in Gothenburg. would become more restricve to- since the autumn of 2013 regarding an Saab’s CEO Håkan Buskhe stated that wards “non-democrac” naons (as acquision of Kockums. During the “the acquision is in line with our the Green Party had been suggesng for many years). spring of 2014, TKMS’ grip over strategy to expand our offering and Kockums gradually weakened as the strengthen Saab’s posion in the mar- On September 29, FMV announced Swedish state and FMV (the defence ket for naval systems. … The acquisi- two orders to Saab Kockums. Firstly, procurement agency) distanced them- on makes us a complete supplier of an order of ten underwater ROVs selves from TKMS, and supported a naval military systems”. By Aug 20, (Remotely Operated Vehicle). These takeover of Kockums by Saab. So what Saab Kockums stated that they are ROVs are to be integrated aboard pa- has happened since early June? planning to hire up to 200 engineers in trol boats and auxiliary in The Malmö. . Secondly, an order of Closing the Saab acquisition SEK 130 million for an overhaul of the On June 9, FMV and Saab signed a TKMS by now apparently experienced submarine HMS Halland (Gotland Leer of Intent regarding the Swedish a diminishing fondness of military class) during 2014-15. Together with underwater capability for 2015-2024. and submarine development. Accord- the July torpedo order; these three On June 26, Saab declared that they ing to the German newspaper Han- orders were referred to by FMV as were sll in ongoing talks with TKMS delsbla, by September 12 TKMS was being part of the 2015-2024 Leer of regarding an acquision of Kockums: in negoaons for a sale of HDW (i.e. Intent. The development of the Next “The discussions are at a final stage what remained of TKMS’ military ship- Generaon Submarine is also well but sll ongoing.” and submarine facilies) to the Ger- under way in the present polical and On June 29, Saab declared that they man defence company Rheinmetall. Rheinmetall in its turn was pondering procurement context. had reached an agreement with TKMS for acquiring Kockums at a price of SEK divesng its unit for car components Implications 340 million (€ 35 million). TKMS inial to Thyssen Krupp. Handelsbla in this Saab Kockums is clearly experiencing price a few months earlier had been arcle also stated that Rheinmetall fair wind in the first months of its SEK 1,3 billion. As Saab had succeeded was interested in acquiring Optronica maiden voyage. During several years in aracng skilled submarine devel- and Atlas Elektronik from EADS, com- prior to 2014, Kockums operaons and opment personnel from Kockums dur- panies highly acve in defence tech- product development were character- nology. ized by a procurement and ownership ing the spring, including TKMS AB’s chief submarine designer, and as FMV Stabilizing Saab Kockum’s future roadblock on a grand scale. Saab’s had aborted praccally all orders to operations torpedo development had also for Kockums – TKMS increasingly pos- had its naonal elecon on years experienced a defence procure- sessed an industrial facility with very September 14. The elecon outcome ment standsll. A perhaps worrying limited business future. meant that the sing prime minister cloud towards the horizon, however, is the export market. Present export FMV announced on July 2 that it had Fredrik Reinfeldt and his rightwing, four-party coalion – ‘The Alliance’ – orders are modest, and technology placed an order with Saab Naval Sys- development in the naval area solely tems for ‘design plans’ for a New Light- would be replaced by some sort of coalion lead by the Social Democrac for the Swedish demand would be weight Torpedo (NLT). (Note, Kockums costly for Sweden. Perhaps Kockums not yet acquired). However, by July 22, Party leader Stefan Löfvén. However, Löfvén and his closest collaborators will be pulled along on the export mar- Saab announces that it completes the ket by the highly export successful acquision of Kockums from TKMS, the Le Party and the Green Party together only had 43.6 % of the votes. Saab Group. In aggregate however, for and Kockums is incorporated into the Swedish Navy’s submarine force, Saab. Saab had by then reached ap- The Social Democrats have in recent years expressed clearly defence- Saab Kockums’ submarine develop- proval from all concerned authories ment and Saab’s naval business units; in Sweden and Germany. Saab friendly declaraons and have been posive (together with the Alliance) massive uncertaines have turned into Kockums (the new name) became a a promising future rising on the hori- business unit within Saab’s business towards costly development of an E/F zon. area Security and Defence Soluons. generaon of Gripen and of develop- M L The new business unit Saab Kockums ment of a new submarine. The Le Deputy Research Director, FOI has its design office in Malmö, its pro- and the Green party, however, have clearly been scepc to such ambious mar[email protected] 11