Sweden has agreed to buy four naval frigates from France’s Naval Group in a deal worth more than $4 billion, as Stockholm moves to strengthen its defence capabilities in the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday.
The agreement will see Sweden acquire the French Defence and Intervention (FDI) frigate model, marking what Kristersson described as the country’s largest military investment since the 1980s.
Kristersson said the acquisition would significantly enhance Sweden’s maritime air defence capacity as the country continues to expand its armed forces following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and its accession to NATO.
Speaking aboard the Swedish naval corvette HMS Härnösand in Stockholm, he said the Baltic region had entered an unprecedented period of strategic vulnerability.
“Nowhere in modern times has the Baltic Sea been as exposed, contested and uncertain as it is today,” he said, adding that the decision would help make the region “significantly safer in the years ahead”.
He added that the new frigates alone would triple Sweden’s maritime air defence capability.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the deal on social media, saying it reflected strong bilateral trust between the two countries. He also highlighted recent defence cooperation, including France’s purchase of Saab’s GlobalEye airborne early warning systems and Sweden’s involvement in discussions on European nuclear deterrence.
Swedish Navy chief Johan Norlén said the new vessels would play a key role in securing maritime routes in the Baltic Sea, ensuring the continued movement of civilian and military shipping to Finland and the Baltic states in the event of a crisis.
Sweden is also expanding its underwater capabilities, including the development of a new class of submarines, some of which are being acquired by Poland.
Defence Minister Pål Jonson said Sweden had requested that domestically developed systems, including those produced by Saab, be integrated into the new vessels.
Sweden, one of Europe’s strongest supporters of Ukraine, has said it expects to reach NATO’s defence spending target of 3.5% of GDP by 2030, several years ahead of the alliance’s deadline.
The first of the four frigates, which will be the largest ships in the Swedish navy, is expected to be delivered in 2030. The overall cost is estimated at around 40 billion Swedish kronor ($4.25 billion), depending on the final configuration of the weapons systems.
Naval Group secured the contract after competing against bids from Britain’s Babcock, in partnership with Saab, and Spain’s Navantia.
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