Actual warship designs record the capabilities a navy is willing to fund and carry, which can reveal priorities more clearly than public statements. Sweden's Cold War force combined destroyers, cruisers, and torpedo boats. This mix could move and sustain forces, contest nearby waters, and deny an enemy freedom of action. Sweden later judged that it was too outnumbered to maintain even limited sea control on its own and concentrated its resources on denial. The planned FDI-based frigates signal a return to local sea control.
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Reading Swedish strategy through warship design
Swedish warship design traces the move from a Cold War mix of limited sea control and sea denial to a denial-focused fleet, followed by a modern return to frigates.