Sweden Finalizes Contract for Four French-Built Frigates
The Swedish government on Monday, August 31, finalized the contract for the construction of four French-built frigates. The advanced design will be able to operate both in the demanding conditions of the far North and the Baltic in winter and represents a significant increase in Sweden’s naval capabilities.
The procurement of new surface combat vessels was first included in Sweden’s 2020 defense bill and was adopted in December 2024. The contract comes just months after Sweden announced in May that it had selected the French Naval Group’s design for the FDI (defense and intervention frigate) and instructed the Swedish Defense Material Administration to initiate exclusive negotiations.
The French government cooperated in the negotiations, and President Emmanuel Macron was at yesterday’s contract signing in Stockholm. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called it a deepening of the strategic partnership between the countries.
“This is a strategically important investment that strengthens Sweden’s defense capability and security in light of a deteriorated international situation,” said Minister for Defence Pal Jonson. “The four frigates will triple Sweden’s current air defense capability. This is essential to Sweden’s security and NATO’s capability.”
In addition to the design characteristics, the established production line, which is already building versions of the ships for France and Greece, added to the appeal. It will permit rapid delivery, with the first of the four vessels scheduled for delivery in 2030 and the project to be completed in 2034. Naval Group will also provide training to the Swedish Armed Forces personnel.
Naval Group delivered one of the vessels to the Hellenic Navy in December 2025. It has three more under construction for Greece. In May 2026, it floated the second vessel for the French Navy, which is due for delivery in 2027. France recently added a fifth order, with all the vessels due for delivery by 2032.
The design is a 122-meter (400-foot) frigate, which is approximately 4,500 tons displacement. It has speeds of up to 27 knots and is designed for an endurance of up to 5,000 nautical miles and 45 days.
According to Naval Group, the inverted bow guarantees the ship’s stability and speed performance on high seas and in rough seas (navigation tested to force 7, i.e. waves of 6-9 meters). Its segmented lines with sharp edges guarantee a high level of stealth.
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Swedish officials highlighted that the defense frigates will be delivered in the Swedish ‘Lulea class’ configuration based on the French Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention class. The frigates will have advanced anti-aircraft and anti-submarine systems, and the capability to establish superiority at sea for protection of maritime transport and to keep seaways open.
In May, they highlighted that the ships would be equipped with several subsystems from Swedish suppliers, including from the Saab lightweight Torpedo, the RBS 15 anti-ship missile system, Giraffe 1X surveillance radar and the Trackfire Remote Weapon Station. BAE Systems Bofors is to provide the 57 mm and 40 mm multi-target Naval Gun Systems.
