Sweden inks deal with Naval Group for new frigates
The FMV has signed a contract with Naval Group for the delivery of four new Luleå-class frigates for the RSwN. (Naval Group)
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has signed a contract with French naval shipbuilder and systems integrator Naval Group worth approximately SEK47 billion (USD4.9 billion) as prime contract partner for the Royal Swedish Navy's (RSwN's) Luleå-class frigate programme.
Signed by FMV Director-General Mikael Granholm and Naval Group Chairman and CEO Pierre Éric Pommellet on 31 August 2026, the contract covers the construction, integration, and delivery of four frigates based on the French Navy's Amiral Ronarc'h-class Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention (FDI) design. They signed the contract on board FDI first-of-class Amiral Ronarc'h, moored alongside in Stockholm, in the presence of Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and France's President Emmanuel Macron.
A framework agreement on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation was signed on the same day by Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson and his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin. This accord is intended to deepen cooperation on operational matters, as well as on defence materiel and industrial development.
The Swedish government announced its selection of the FDI design on 19 May following a competitive evaluation undertaken by the FMV. Naval Group's offer was preferred ahead of rival bids from Babcock, offering the Arrowhead 120 design in partnership with Saab, and Navantia, proposing its ALFA 4000 frigate design.
The new ships – to be named HMS Luleå, HMS Norrköping, HMS Trelleborg, and HMS Halmstad – are intended for delivery at annual intervals between 2030 and 2034. They will provide the RSwN with an air and missile defence capability alongside powerful anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
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