The ships will enter Swedish service as the Luleå class. The contract was signed on 31 August aboard the French lead frigate Amiral Ronarc’h in the presence of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Mikael Granholm, director-general of the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, signed the agreement with Naval Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pierre Éric Pommellet. The ceremony took place less than four months after Stockholm selected the FDI as its preferred frigate design.
Naval Group prevailed over rival proposals from Britain’s Babcock and Spain’s Navantia. Babcock offered the smaller Arrowhead 120 design in partnership with Saab, while Navantia proposed its Alfa 4000 frigate.
The decision reflects a shift in Sweden’s naval procurement plans following its accession to NATO. Stockholm replaced an earlier requirement for missile corvettes with plans for larger, more autonomous frigates suited to sustained deployments with multinational naval groups.
The revised requirement also called for stronger air-defence capabilities and greater endurance in response to the changing regional security environment and the threat from Russia. Sweden expects the ships to operate across the Baltic Sea, High North and North Atlantic.
Stockholm is pursuing the frigate programme while modernising its existing Visby-class corvettes. Their mid-life upgrade includes the integration of vertical launch systems for CAMM air-defence missiles.
Two FDI frigates have already been delivered to the French and Hellenic navies, providing Naval Group with an established production base for the Swedish order. The company said its existing line would support the accelerated delivery timetable requested by Stockholm.
“I am delighted to be in Stockholm today to sign the contract for the delivery of four FDI frigates to Sweden, a major milestone in the cooperation between our two countries,” Pommellet said. “It is an honour to put our expertise at the service of the Swedish Royal Navy’s sovereignty and naval superiority, and I would like to thank the Swedish authorities for their trust.”
“Naval Group is already fully involved and committed to the delivery of this major project,” Pommellet added. The company plans a structured, long-term partnership with Swedish industry that will include transfers of technology and technical expertise to several local companies.
The FDI is a multi-mission frigate designed for operations across the main areas of naval warfare. Its air-defence capability is based on the ASTER missile system and is intended to counter current and emerging threats in demanding maritime environments.
Naval Group said the four frigates would give the Royal Swedish Navy broader capabilities for allied and NATO naval operations. The programme also deepens defence-industrial cooperation between France and Sweden at a time when European governments are expanding military capacity.
