Sweden Purchases 4 New Frigates from France

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in the capital Stockholm on August 31, where the two sides will sign a contract regarding Sweden's procurement of four new frigates from France. The military procurement contract amounts to approximately 4.3 billion euros, making it one of Sweden's largest defense investments since the 1980s.

At the arms sale signing ceremony, Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson and French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu will also sign a framework agreement to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in operational matters, defense capabilities, and industrial development.

According to the French Navy's official website, the "Defense and Intervention Frigate" to be built for Sweden will be 122 meters long, with a displacement of 4,500 tons, capable of detecting and countering various threats such as "air, surface, underwater, asymmetric, and cyber." It can be used to deploy special forces and launch drones. The first frigate is expected to be delivered in 2030, with one ship delivered each year thereafter.

Kristersson stated that this procurement will significantly enhance Sweden's air defense capabilities. The Swedish government previously revealed that these new frigates will become the largest surface combat vessels in the Swedish Navy by tonnage, with an expected service life of about 40 years.

Jonson mentioned that the Swedish government has requested that this type of warship be equipped with several Swedish-developed weapon systems, including those developed by Saab Group.

Sweden had also considered procurement from other sources but ultimately chose the French frigate, mainly due to the fast delivery speed, the fact that this type of warship is already in production, its proven performance, and the ability to share procurement costs with countries like Greece.

It is reported that France has already ordered five of this type of frigate, with the first ship, "Admiral Ronarc'h," having entered sea trials and expected to officially enter service later this year. Greece has also procured four of this type of warship.

In 2024, Sweden will officially join NATO. The Swedish government announced last March that it plans to increase defense spending by 300 billion Swedish kronor (approximately 31.2 billion USD) over the next ten years and to raise the proportion of defense spending in GDP to 3.5% by 2030.

It is reported that Sweden and France have strengthened defense cooperation in recent years, mutually procuring military products. In December 2025, France announced it would order two "GlobalEye" early warning aircraft produced by Sweden's Saab Group. Saab Group announced in May this year that it received an order from France for 17 "Giraffe-1X" radars produced by the company. (CCTV reporters Chen Minglei and Zhu Xuesong)