“I think and I hope that we can make a decision by early next year in regards to our new frigates program,” Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson told a news conference with French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin. Sweden aims to have the first two vessels delivered by 2030 and is therefore considering only existing designs.
France is one of the contenders, with Naval Group offering a proposal that Paris says meets Sweden’s timeline. “France could meet the Swedish request,” Vautrin said. “We could deliver a frigate in 2030, an entirely equipped one including defensive measures and of course, we propose a partnership with Swedish industry, in particular Saab,” she said.
Other options include designs from Spain’s Navantia and Britain’s Babcock, which is working in collaboration with Sweden’s Saab. The planned Lulea class ships would be the largest surface warships in the Swedish navy and are expected to remain in service for around 40 years.
Source: Reuters.
