Naval Group cuts steel on first Swedish FDI Luleå frigate
A computer-generated image released on 1 October 2026 showing the Swedish Royal Navy's forthcoming FDI frigate, the first unit in the Luleå-class, under construction in Lorient, France. (FMV)
France's Naval Group cut steel on the first Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN) Luleå-class Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention (FDI) frigate at its facility in Lorient, France, on 1 October 2026, according to a Naval Group press release published on 2 October.
Production began one month after Sweden signed the SEK47 billion (USD4.9 billion) contract (on 31 August), selecting the French frigate design over the Anglo-Danish Arrowhead 140 and German MEKO A-400 for its four Luleå-class vessels.
When Stockholm initiated negotiations with Naval Group, detailed in a government press release on 22 May 2026, it labelled the FDI design a “balanced and realistic option” with regard to the company's delivery timeline. HMS Luleå is scheduled for delivery in 2030, said Naval Group in its press release. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) added that successive units (HMSs Norrköping, Trelleborg, and Halmstad) are planned to follow in 2032, 2033, and 2034 respectively.
Three NATO navies – France, Greece, and now Sweden – have ordered a total of 13 FDIs so far. The shipbuilder claims that it will create a “structured and long-term industrial partnership” with Swedish industry. It will involve all the company's sites and teams, said Vincent Martinot-Lagarde, Naval Group's executive vice president for surface ships.
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