Sweden will buy four defense and intervention frigates from the French company Naval Group as part of a “very important international defense contract,” announced Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Tuesday, May 19. Naval Group was preferred over offers from the British Babcock group with the Swedish Saab and the Spanish Navantia, as Sweden opted for a quick delivery of a proven and already produced model, the Prime Minister added. France had assured that it could provide a “fully equipped frigate” by 2030. This is “one of the most significant Swedish investments in defense since the introduction of the Gripen fighter jet in the 1980s,” said Mr. Kristersson, without revealing the contract amount. And “this represents a tripling of Sweden’s anti-aircraft defense capabilities,” as these frigates are equipped with missiles, the Prime Minister added. This contract is a success for the French group after its setback last year in Norway, which favored British frigates.
Sweden Chooses a Proven System
“The possibility of sharing costs with other countries, particularly France and Greece, was also important for us,” explained the Swedish Prime Minister. “This is a integrated naval system with proven experience in air defense. This means that the functional chain, with all its different subsystems, has been tested and verified for this type of vessel,” he added. Sweden has significantly increased its defense investments since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, with NATO membership in 2024. France has recently signed several contracts to purchase Swedish equipment, including Global Eye radar planes and Giraffe 1X radars from Saab.
