In the early 1920s, the Royal Swedish Navy operated 10 destroyers and 29 first-class torpedo boats.

The destroyers, which dated between 1902 and 1917, were of similar design, displacing 450–500 long tons (460–510 t) and armed with 75 mm (3 in) guns and 45.7 cm (18 in) torpedo tubes.

Three Penhoët boilers fed two de Laval geared steam turbines, generating 34,000 shaft horsepower (25,000 kW) which drove the ships to a speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph).

[4] The two destroyers patrolled in the Baltic Sea to defend Sweden's neutrality during the Second World War, when the ships' 40 mm Vickers anti-aircraft guns were replaced by four Bofors 25 mm cannons in two twin mountings.

The aft two 120 mm (4.7 in) guns and the torpedo tubes were removed to allow the fitting of an improved anti-aircraft and anti-submarine armament and sensors.