In 1933 and 1934, the Polish Navy, planning to build a series of new destroyers, held a competition involving European shipbuilders. Kockums, a Swedish shipyard from Malmö, also participated in the competition with its project. The project was based on the Göteborg-class destroyers that had just been laid down and differed from them with a 50% greater displacement and enhanced armament. The prevailing project came from a British firm, resulting in the appearance of the Grom-class destroyers.