With a maximum speed of 60 knots (110 km/h), the Skjold-class corvettes were the fastest combat ships afloat at the time of their introduction.,[5] as of 2023[update] beaten by the Abu Dhabi MAR WP-18 Interceptor.

To ensure stealth capabilities, anechoic coatings of radar absorbent materials (RAM) have been used in the load-bearing structures over large areas of the ship.

This strategy leads to significant weight saving compared to the conventional construction technique of applying RAM cladding to the external surfaces.

In 2020, the Norwegian Government decided to further upgrade the Skjold-class vessels, partially to compensate for the loss of the frigate Helge Ingstad.

The upgrades of the four ships would take place between 2020 and 2024, permitting the Skjold-class to remain up-to-date through to 2030 when replacement vessels were envisaged under terms of the government's defence plan.