Manufacturer catalog

Bofors Defence AB

Bofors Defence AB was the Karlskoga, Sweden-based weapons and ammunition business formed when Bofors Weapon Systems AB adopted the Bofors Defence name under United Defense ownership in 2000. During that period the company concentrated on intelligent ammunition, artillery systems, naval gun mounts, medium-calibre ammunition, and related fire-control or launch technologies that later continued inside BAE Systems Bofors.

2 weapons

Saab announced in June 2000 that United Defense would acquire 100 percent of Bofors Weapon Systems from Saab subsidiary Celsius, describing the Karlskoga company as a center for advanced artillery technology, naval gun design, and intelligent munitions. In September 2000 Saab said Bofors Weapon Systems AB was changing its name to Bofors Defence AB and that the business was concentrated in Karlskoga with about 550 employees.

United Defense's 2003 annual report described Bofors Defence A.B. as a United Defense subsidiary based in Karlskoga with competencies in the design, development, and production of intelligent ammunition, artillery systems, and naval gun mounts. The same report linked the company to STRIX, BONUS, Excalibur, the FH 77 B next-generation artillery work, and the 57 mm Mk3 naval gun. BAE Systems later agreed to acquire United Defense in 2005, and current BAE Systems and SOFF material place the Bofors weapon-systems business inside BAE Systems Bofors.

intelligent ammunitionartillery systemsnaval gun mounts40 mm and 57 mm ammunitionfire-control and guided munition technology

Notable Systems

M/41D 120 mm mortar, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, Artillery

M/41D 120 mm mortar

120 mm towed heavy mortar

The cataloged M/41D record uses Bofors Defence AB as a Swedish manufacturer attribution for the 120 mm mortar family; its own sources separate the Finnish Tampella design lineage from later Swedish production and attribution context.

Sources: Forecast International Mortars Europe, United Defense 2003 annual report
40 mm APFSDS-T round, 40 mm APFSDS-T round, Munitions

40 mm APFSDS-T round

40 mm APFSDS-T round

A Bofors Defence AB technical paper supports the cataloged 40 mm APFSDS-T family, including Mk I, Mk II, L/70 gun-system context, insensitive-munition qualification, and Swedish Strf 90 ammunition designations.

Sources: Bofors Defence AB 40 mm APFSDS-T, Saab Bofors Defence position release

Manufacturer History

  1. United Defense agrees to acquire Bofors Weapon Systems

    Saab announced that United Defense would acquire all shares in Bofors Weapon Systems from Celsius, creating a Swedish-U.S. defense link around artillery technology, naval gun design, and intelligent munitions.

    Sources: Saab United Defense purchase release

  2. Bofors Defence AB name adopted

    Saab said Bofors Weapon Systems AB was changing its name to Bofors Defence AB and highlighted the company's intelligent-ammunition portfolio, Karlskoga concentration, and roughly 550 employees.

    Sources: Saab Bofors Defence position release

  3. United Defense describes Karlskoga competencies

    United Defense's 2003 annual report described Bofors Defence A.B. as a Karlskoga subsidiary focused on intelligent ammunition, artillery systems, naval gun mounts, Excalibur work, BONUS production, and the 57 mm Mk3 naval gun.

    Sources: United Defense 2003 annual report

  4. BAE Systems acquisition agreement announced

    United Defense announced a merger agreement under which BAE Systems North America would acquire United Defense, whose defense portfolio included combat vehicles, artillery, naval guns, missile launchers, and precision munitions.

    Sources: SEC United Defense BAE acquisition release

  5. Bofors 3P orders show current successor product line

    BAE Systems announced Sweden and Finland orders for Bofors 40 mm and 57 mm 3P programmable ammunition and identified the release contact as BAE Systems Bofors.

    Sources: BAE Systems 3P ammunition order

Predecessors
Bofors Weapon Systems ABCelsius Bofors Weapon Systems
Successors
BAE Systems Bofors
Website links
BAE Systems Bofors Sweden overviewSaab 2000 Bofors Defence name-change releaseSOFF BAE Systems Bofors member profile

Bofors Defence AB is treated as the 2000-2005 United Defense-era Karlskoga business name. Later official product and contact material generally appears under BAE Systems Bofors, and existing catalog records also use BAE Systems Bofors as a distinct manufacturer name.

Manufacturer Sources

  • Saab United Defense purchase releasePublisher: Saab | Note: Supports the June 2000 agreement for United Defense to acquire 100 percent of Bofors Weapon Systems from Saab/Celsius, the Karlskoga company description, and the advanced artillery, naval-gun, and intelligent-munition scope. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Saab Bofors Defence position releasePublisher: Saab | Note: Supports the September 2000 name change from Bofors Weapon Systems AB to Bofors Defence AB, United Defense ownership context, intelligent-ammunition products, STRIX cooperation, Karlskoga concentration, and workforce size. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • United Defense 2003 annual reportPublisher: United Defense Industries | Note: Supports Bofors Defence A.B. as a United Defense subsidiary based in Karlskoga and its competencies in intelligent ammunition, artillery systems, naval gun mounts, Excalibur, BONUS, FH 77 B work, and 57 mm Mk3 naval gun activity. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • SEC United Defense BAE acquisition releasePublisher: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission | Note: Supports the March 2005 BAE Systems North America agreement to acquire United Defense and summarizes United Defense's combat vehicles, artillery, naval guns, missile launchers, and precision munitions business. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • BAE Systems Sweden overviewPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports current BAE Systems Bofors context, including weapons-system development and integration plus ARCHER, 57Mk3, 40Mk4, BONUS, Excalibur, 3P, and 40 mm ground-based air-defense product areas. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • SOFF BAE Systems Bofors profilePublisher: Swedish Security and Defence Industry Association | Note: Supports current BAE Systems Bofors business-unit context, Karlskoga operations, contact location, and product areas including 40 mm and 57 mm naval gun systems, 3P ammunition, Archer, LEMUR remote weapon systems, and intelligent artillery ammunition. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • BAE Systems 3P ammunition orderPublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports current Bofors 40 mm and 57 mm 3P programmable ammunition activity under BAE Systems Bofors and identifies Swedish and Finnish procurement context without making conflict-use claims. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Forecast International Mortars EuropePublisher: Forecast International | Note: Supports Bofors Defence AB manufacturer context for the 120 mm M/41D mortar record already published in the catalog. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Bofors Defence AB 40 mm APFSDS-TPublisher: Bofors Defence AB | Note: Supports Bofors Defence AB technical context for the cataloged 40 mm APFSDS-T ammunition family, including Mk I, Mk II, L/70, Bushmaster IV, and insensitive-munition qualification claims. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Artillery

Tube artillery, rocket artillery, and long-range ground fires.

1/1
M/41D 120 mm mortar, 120 mm towed heavy mortar, Artillery2014 Russia-Ukraine WarM/41D 120 mm mortar120 mm towed heavy mortarBuilt in: Finland / SwedenThe M/41D is the Swedish-service branch of the Finnish Tampella 120 Krh/40 heavy mortar family, a Stokes-Brandt-pattern 120 mm weapon built for mobile indirect fire. Ukraine accepted the Swedish 120 mm M/41D into service during the full-scale Russia-Ukraine War, while open sources also document its older Finnish design base, Swedish licensed production, Baltic holdings, and continued relevance as a compact fire-support mortar.

Category

Munitions

Standalone missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and guided or unguided explosive payloads.

1/1
40 mm APFSDS-T round, 40 mm APFSDS-T round, Munitions40 mm APFSDS-T round40 mm APFSDS-T roundBuilt in: SwedenThe 40 mm APFSDS-T round is a Swedish Bofors Defence AB kinetic-energy cartridge for 40 mm L/70 gun systems, using an armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot projectile with tracer. Bofors material places it in the 40 mm ammunition family beside 3P and training rounds, identifies Mk I and Mk II development, and Swedish Armed Forces safety regulations list SLPPRJ 90 and SLPPRJ 01 LK designations for Strf 90 and Lvkv 90 firing contexts.