On Monday, French company Naval Group and the Swedish Ministry of Defence signed a contract for the procurement of four FDI frigates. The agreement is another blow toward any potential future Russian aggression in NATO’s northern flank.
Stockholm announced its decision to pick the FDI as its future Luleå-class surface combatants back in May.
“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,” Pierre Éric Pommellet, the Chairman and CEO of Naval Group, said in a company press release.
The French government played an important role in the negotiations between the Royal Swedish Navy and the French defense company. French President Emmanuel Macron was even present at the contract signing along with his Swedish counterpart, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
The parties signed the contract onboard the FS Amiral Ronarc’h, the sole French FDI ship currently in service.
“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.
There are two FDI frigates in service, one with the French Navy and one with the Hellenic Navy. Several other FDIs are in different phases of the construction process (the Hellenic Navy expects a second FDI early next year).
Under the agreement, the Royal Swedish Navy will receive its first FDI frigate in 2030. The timeline for deliveries is one ship nearly each year: the SS Luleå in 2030, the SS Norrköping in 2032, the SS Trelleborg in 2033, and the SS Halmstad in 2034.
Designed as Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI), or defense and intervention frigate, the FDI is a new type of medium frigate with air defense, anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, and land attack capabilities depending on the configuration.
It has a displacement of 4,500 tonnes, an operational range of 5,000 nautical miles (5,755 miles), a maximum speed of 27 knots (31 mph), and a crew of 153.
Powerfully equipped warships
According to the Royal Swedish Navy, the frigates will sport a combination of French and Swedish weapon systems and sensors.
Specifically, the four warships will have the French-made MBDA Aster 30 and MBDA CAMM-ER air defense missiles; as well as the Swedish-made SAAB RBS15 anti-ship missiles; SAAB Torped 47 lightweight torpedo; and SAAB Giraffe 1X radar and Trackfire remote weapon station. The Luleå-class ships will also have 57mm and 40 mm guns.
The Swedish configuration will include the Sylver A50 and Sylver Cold Launch vertical launch systems for the Aster 30 and CAMM-ER missiles.
In their initial configuration, the Swedish FDIs will not have a long-range land attack capability. However, there are discussions for the subsequent inclusion of the Naval Cruise Missile, a ship-launched cruise missile with a range of 870 miles and a 550 lbs high explosive warhead.
“By equipping Swedish frigates with the Aster missile and possibly the Naval Cruise Missile, France is not merely delivering ships – it is also providing a capability to protect the territories of our friends,” Macron stated.
The addition of the FDI in the Royal Swedish Navy will bolster the Scandinavian country’s naval and air defense capabilities, therefore also reinforcing NATO’s northern flank.
Feature Image: French FDI Frigate Amiral Ronarc’h docked in New York, April 2026. (Photo by StSeanSpicer/Wikimedia Commons)
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