Sweden selects Naval Group's FDI frigates in $4.2 billion deal

Sweden on Tuesday selected France's Naval Group to supply four FDI frigates in a deal worth more than 40 billion Swedish kronor ($4.2 billion), beating bids from Spain's Navantia and the UK's Babcock International. Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson announced the decision at a press conference in Stockholm, citing rapid delivery, technical maturity, cost-sharing with France and Greece, and a proven air-defense system as reasons for the selection.

The first frigate is expected for delivery in 2030, with one vessel per year thereafter, Jonson said. Each frigate is expected to cost just over 10 billion Swedish kronor, with the final price depending on integrated equipment and systems. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the purchase triples Sweden's air-defense capability and represents the country's biggest defense investment since the Gripen fighter jet in the 1980s.

The four ships will be named HSwMS Luleå, Norrköping, Trelleborg, and Halmstad. The FDI frigate is 122 meters long and displaces around 4,500 tons. The vessels will be equipped with MBDA's Aster 30 missiles, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, and the CAMM-ER medium-range air-defense system. Swedish components to be integrated include Saab's RBS-15 anti-ship missile, Torped 47 lightweight torpedo, Giraffe G1X compact radar, and Trackfire remote-weapon station, as well as BAE Systems Bofors 57mm and 40mm guns.

Swedish Chief of Defence Gen. Michael Claesson said the FDI has an integrated command-and-control system that can interface with NATO systems. "The frigates mean that we get a significantly greater freedom of action to be able to participate in a much larger range of the tasks that NATO sets," Claesson said. He noted that one reason to move forward with the frigate purchase was NATO capability targets.

Jonson said rapid delivery is "absolutely essential given the very serious security situation we are currently in." With the FDI, "Sweden is acquiring a highly advanced surface combatant for which an adversary would also need to allocate significant resources to counter," he said. Kristersson said he called French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday morning so the French president would not learn of the decision via the media.

Sweden joined NATO in March 2024 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The country aims to reach defense spending of 3.5% of GDP by 2030. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration will now begin negotiations with France and Naval Group.