Sweden's largest defense deal since Gripen: four French frigates

Sweden has announced a major defense acquisition, signing a deal with France's Naval Group to purchase four FDI frigates in what Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described as the country's largest military investment since the introduction of the Gripen fighter jet in the 1980s. The agreement represents a tripling of Sweden's air defense capability, with the first delivery expected by 2030 and the remaining three ships following by 2035. Each vessel is estimated to cost approximately 10 billion Swedish crowns (roughly 900 million euros or 1.05 billion dollars), bringing the total deal to over 3.5 billion euros. The government selected Naval Group's offer over rival bids from Spain's Navantia and a joint proposal from Britain's Babcock in conjunction with Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab. Defense Minister Pal Jonson cited factors including rapid delivery timelines, cost-sharing arrangements with France and fellow customer Greece, and the inclusion of a proven air defense system as key reasons for the decision. The ships, which will be named HSwMS Lulea, Norrköpping, Trelleborg and Halmstad, will be configured to accommodate several Swedish-developed weapons systems, including those produced by Saab. Sweden, which maintained neutrality throughout the Cold War before abandoning its non-aligned status and joining NATO in March 2024 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is pursuing rapid expansion of its military capabilities. The right-of-center government aims to reach defense spending of 3.5 percent of GDP by 2030, several years ahead of NATO's established targets, and has been one of Ukraine's staunchest European backers. The new frigates will significantly enhance Sweden's maritime defense, supplementing the navy's existing fleet of five Visby class corvettes, two Gävle class corvettes, and a small fleet of submarines currently undergoing upgrades.