Sweden has signed a contract worth approximately 47 billion Swedish kronor ($4.8 billion) with France’s state shipbuilder Naval Group for the procurement of four Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) warships.
The agreement was finalized aboard the French Navy’s first FDI frigate Amiral Ronarc’h (D660) in Stockholm in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Upon induction, the fleet will form the Nordic country’s planned Luleå-class surface combatants, with each to be named after the nation’s coastal cities Luleå, Norrköping, Trelleborg, and Halmstad.
Paris is expected to deliver the vessels annually from 2030 to 2034.
Sea-Based Air Shield
The acquisition expands Stockholm’s maritime defense role and air defense capacity in the Baltic Sea region following its accession to NATO in 2024.
At the event, Kristersson cited the ongoing war in Ukraine as demonstrating the necessity of countering modern missile threats.
“These frigates will serve as platforms that will provide long-range capabilities at sea and protection against ballistic missiles,” AP News quoted the prime minister as saying.
The deal also establishes a broader bilateral framework to deepen defense-industrial cooperation between France and Sweden.
Among the deliverables included in the four-frigate contract are onboard anti-ballistic interceptors, cruise missiles, torpedoes, and associated training.
The Luleå-Class Frigate
Sweden’s upcoming Luleå ships will have a length of 122 meters (400 feet), a beam of 18 meters (59 feet), and capacity for more than 125 sailors, a rotary-wing aircraft similar to the NH90, and an unmanned aerial system.
It will carry Naval Group’s proprietary Setis battle management system, multiple sensors, an advanced digital communication network and navigation systems, and electronic warfare capabilities.
The platform will be armed with surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, lightweight torpedoes, as well as 57mm and 40mm naval guns.
The Luleå will sail at over 26 knots (48 kilometers/30 miles per hour), cover a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 kilometers/5,754 miles), and maintain straight operational deployment for up to 45 days using twin MTU 16V 8000 M91L engines with a 43,000-horsepower of combined output.
French FDI frigate “Amiral Ronarc’h.” Photo: Naval Group